At all times when liquor is available for sale to the public in an on or off licensed premise, a manager who holds a current general manager's certificate must be on duty. The manager is responsible for compliance with the Sale of Liquor Act 1989 and the conditions of the premises licence.
The name of the manager on duty must always be displayed on the licensed premises.
There are two types of manager's certificates. These are:
- General Manager's Certificate - authorises the holder to manage any licensed premises.
- Club Manager's Certificate - authorises the holder to manage any premises where a club licence is in force.
Note: this does not apply to bring your own (BYO) premises or most clubs.
Applying for a certificate
To apply for a general manager's certificate, you must obtain the Licence Controllers Qualification (LCQ) which comprises New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) unit standards 4646 and 16705.
NZQA training providers within Christchurch include:
Once you have attended and passed this course you can then apply for your LCQ through the Hospitality Standards Institute (HSI) Wellington. Most providers send for this on your behalf.
The process is:
1. Complete a training course by a recognised provider.
2. Obtain the LCQ.
3. Apply to the District Licensing Agency for your manager's certificate. A photocopy of the LCQ is required with every application.
4. Undertake an interview and test (similar to a short LCQ test) at the District Licensing Agency Office.
5. After lodgement of the application a letter will be sent requesting you contact the office to make an appointment for an interview and test.
All applicants must have been in the industry for a minimum of six months, and need a manager's certificate for their current employment.
Applications normally take from four to six weeks to process. All applications are sent to the Police for a report, and also to the licensing inspector. If nothing adverse is reported, the certificate will be issued in due course. If opposed by the Police and/or the inspector, it may be set down for a public hearing held in Christchurch. That process is dependant on the schedule of the Authority but can take a number of months.
Fee: $134.90
This is issued for one year, and then an application for renewal is made. It may then be renewed for a period of three years, in the absence of Police or Inspector's concerns/opposition. Normally if you have received a conviction eg, excess breath alcohol, the agency inspector and/or Police may recommend a one or two year renewal, depending on the seriousness of the conviction. In those cases, the application will be sent to the authority for determination.
Renewing a certificate
Managers whose records are on file with the Christchurch District Licensing Agency will be sent a renewal application form before their certificate expires. This will be sent to the last postal address advised to the Agency.
It is the responsibility of the holder of a manager's certificate to ensure an application to renew is lodged prior to the expiry of the manager's certificate. A manager's certificate cannot be renewed after it has expired. If this occurs, you will be required to apply for a new certificate and your application will be dealt with as a new application.
If issued, it will be initially for one year and renewed every three years thereafter. The Application Fee is $134.90. A photocopy of the LCQ is required with every application.
On receipt of your application and fee, you may be asked, to come into the Agency office for a test of your knowledge of the Sale of Liquor Act 1989 prior to any renewal certificate being granted. If you have to sit a test you will be asked 6 questions, the questions are similar to the ones asked in the test for the LCQ. There are 6 different test papers and you will be asked to complete one of these. To assist you please find the link below to the questions in the test papers. The pass mark is 100% as Managers are expected to know and enforce the Act. Failure to pass the test will result in you having to re-sit the test.
You may find it helpful to read the booklet entitled “The Manager’s Guide” which can be found on the link below or if you wish you can contact the Agency and one will be posted out to you.
Appointing a New, Temporary, Acting Manager or Termination of Manager Appointment
NOTE: There has been a change to the procedure for notifying the District Licensing Agency (DLA) of a change of manager. The form has been modified slightly so that upon it being received by the DLA it will be emailed/faxed back to you as a signed acknowledgement of receipt. You should then retain the returned copy as proof the DLA were notified.
The form should be used in the following circumstances:
If you have just employed a person who already has their Manager’s Certificate and you wish them to be a Duty Manager then you need to complete a Notification of Management Change form, under Section 130 of the Sale of Liquor Act 1989 and preferable email (but can be faxed) to Christchurch DLA, the Police and the LLA. Likewise if a Manager ceases employment with you, you are required to notify the three organisations.
If you wish to appoint a staff member as a Duty Manager, who does not hold a managers certificate, you can appoint them as a Temporary Manager. They are then required to lodge an application for a managers certificate within two working days with the DLA. Failure to do so makes their appointment as a Temporary Manager null and void. Once again the Notification of Management Change form must be emailed or faxed to the three organisations. The LLA have 5 working days to advise that they do not approve of the appointment.
An Acting Manager can be appointed when the manager is ill, absent or on annual leave for a for a period not exceeding 3 weeks at any one time, and for a maximum accumulated period of 6 weeks within a 12 month period. It is not necessary for this person to apply for a manager’s certificate.
It shall not be necessary to notify the three organisations if the appointment of the Acting Manager does not exceed 48 hours.
Forms to be emailed to: managerchange@ccc.govt.nz
