NT New Fit and Proper Person Criteria for Liquor Licence Applicants

Liquor Legislation Amendment (Fast Track Approvals) Bill 2026

12 May 2026: Passed by Parliament and signed off by the governor.

This bill kicks in: TBA

Share this bill

Email Facebook X Bluesky

Topics

application process business permits licensing requirements professional standards

Introduced by: The Hon Marie-Clare Boothby MLA (CLP)

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Official page: bill text and explanatory notes

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

The Commission must use specific criteria to decide if a person is fit and proper.
People found guilty of liquor-related offences in the last 10 years are not fit and proper; the Commission can override this if the circumstances justify it.
Applicants for low risk licences do not need to provide information or conduct consultations required by community impact guidelines.
The Commission can issue low risk licences without checking certain standard requirements; it only needs to be satisfied the applicant is a fit and proper person.
The Director can strip an application of its low risk status if it is in the public interest; the applicant must then provide extra documents and information.
The Commission can now decide applications to approve material alterations to licensed premises.
The Commission and NTCAT cannot review determinations regarding fit and proper persons.

The Debate

What different members said when this bill was debated:

Marie-Clare Boothby CLP

“Madam Speaker, I present a Bill titled Liquor Legislation Amendment (Fast Track Approvals) Bill 2026, Serial 62, and table the explanatory statement. I move that the Bill be now read a first time. When Territorians elected this government they were clear that they wanted a safer community and a stronger economy. They wanted a government that removes unnecessary barriers to do business.”

Official source →

Ed Smelt ALP

“Madam Speaker, this debate goes to the heart of a challenge that every government in the NT has grappled with for decades--how we manage alcohol harm in a way that protects community safety, supports public health, respects local voices and gives communities confidence that decisions are being made transparently and fairly. There is no denying the reality of alcohol harm in the Northern Territory.”

Official source →

Matthew Kerle CLP

“Madam Speaker, I support this Bill. This Bill came out of the Approvals Fast-Track Taskforce, and it works towards our commitment to rebuild the economy and restore the Territory lifestyle. Several years ago I was part of a community group which tried to do something that used to be quite simple-- that is, put on a fundraiser.”

Official source →