According to initial findings from NMI’s national audit of licensed venues conducted in October 2025, 7 in 10 traders were fully compliant with measurement requirements when selling alcohol.
During the audit week, inspectors visited 436 venues across Australia. They checked measuring instruments, conducted ‘secret shopper’ trial purchases, and reviewed quality assurance practices. The results show good compliance overall, with 84% of measuring instruments accurate and 68% of trial purchases delivering the correct amount.
While most venues are doing the right thing, the audit identified areas for improvement. Common issues at non‑compliant sites included:
- inaccurate or unverified instruments
- unapproved glassware or simple measures
- spillage during pouring, meaning customers got less than they paid for.
Keeping standards high
NMI is taking action to maintain high standards across the industry by:
- issuing 130 non‑compliance notices to traders
- investigating 6 enforcement actions involving more than 50 venues
- conducting follow‑up checks in line with NMI’s National Compliance Policy
- sharing findings with industry groups, including the Australian Hotels Association, to help improve training and awareness
- working with a major industry body to develop new educational materials.
Before 2025, the most recent audit of licensed premises was in 2022. By returning to venues and expanding the range of checks, NMI is continuing to work with businesses to ensure customers get what they pay for.
Venues can support compliance by:
- training staff to correctly use measuring instruments
- regularly checking instruments for accuracy
- using only approved glassware and measures.
The interim findings may change after full analysis. NMI will release a final report for 2025–26, including comparisons with the 2019 and 2022 programs, after the end of the financial year.