REFUSAL OF SERVICE OBLIGATIONS FOR REGIONAL BUSINESSES

The Department of Jobs, Precincts & Regions has recently clarified the refusal of service rules in regards to travellers from the Melbourne and Mitchell Shires. The most current information is provided below.

Some businesses are required to undertake reasonable endeavours to ensure that their customers do not live in an area subject to the Stay at Home restrictions.

This requirement applies to a range of business types, including:

  • Dine-in restaurants, cafes and bars (not required for the provision of takeaway food)
  • Beauty and personal care facilities and hairdressers
  • Cinemas and outdoor arcades
  • Play centres and trampoline centres
  • Gyms, fitness studios or indoor sporting and recreation facilities.
  • Libraries and community centres.

This is not a requirement for open retail facilities, such as supermarkets or service stations.

Place of residence can be verified through a number of ways. Businesses may choose to confirm this information by using a driver’s license or other relevant forms of ID, however this is not mandatory and there are other options available.  If using ID is not practical or possible, some other examples of how a business can reasonably endeavour to confirm a customer’s place are residence are:

  1. Asking customers to confirm that their principle place of residence is not in metropolitan Melbourne or Mitchell Shire by ticking a box on the form where contact details are collected
  2. Displaying signage to reinforce that services are limited to only those who live outside of metropolitan Melbourne or Mitchell Shire
  3. Asking customers to confirm that their place of residence is not in metropolitan Melbourne or Mitchell Shire at the time of booking

Download Refusal of Service Poster – No Takeaway

Download Refusal of Service Poster – Takeaway

Businesses will not be fined if they unknowingly provide service to a person who resides in a restricted area. In this instance, the customer will be fined for not adhering to Stay at Home orders.

As a basic rule of thumb we suggest remembering the following – Whatever the restrictions are at the customers primary place of residence, these restrictions travel with them.