Today's announcement will provide an opportunity for hotels and the broader alcohol industry to work with government and the community to identify evidence-based solutions that reduce irresponsible consumption of alcohol.

The Australian Hotels Association welcomes the outcomes of today's Ministerial Council on Drugs Strategy and the agreement to develop a national approach to reduce the incidence of alcohol-related violence and the impact of alcohol abuse on individuals, the community and the health system.

The AHA's National Executive has endorsed a range of initiatives to ensure the hotel sector plays its part in creating a responsible drinking culture in Australia.

AHA Chief Executive Officer Bill Healey said that while Australians drink less per capita than they did a decade ago, the pattern of drinking and the anti-social behaviour of some people in public places means that a coordinated national partnership involving all key stakeholders is required to achieve effective outcomes.

The AHA is committed to establishing a nationally consistent approach to the responsible service of alcohol. It welcomes the recognition by ministers that issues associated with late-night trading need to be considered on a location-by-location basis and may require targeted policing to effectively address anti-social behaviour in "hot-spots" that attract large numbers of young people.

Mr Healey said: "This decision recognises a ‘one size fits all' approach across the country is impractical and will not solve what is a community-wide issue."

Initiatives to address the secondary supply of alcohol to minors are also supported by the hotel industry. Mr Healey said: "While studies show the level of underage drinking has declined in recent years, risky drinking by minors remains a problem in the community and ways need to be found to discourage parents and close adults from supplying liquor to minors."

The AHA looks forward to working with Ministers, government agencies and the broader community to identify and implement effective strategies linked to the national approach.

The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) is the pre-eminent tourism and hospitality industry organisation in Australia. It has around 5000 members operating general and accommodation hotels. It has a National Office and Branches in each State and Territory. It also has a discrete Branch to represent the interests of its Accommodation members that covers four and five-star properties operated by the major chains.