Restrictions on the sale of takeaway liquor will be expanded to Whyalla, with local bottle shops agreeing to voluntarily limit purchases.
Liquor and Gambling Commissioner Dini Soulio said the move was to address concerns people were travelling from Port Augusta to Whyalla to circumvent the restrictions introduced in Port Augusta and buy large quantities of liquor.
“We’ve heard reports from local liquor store owners who’ve seen customers converge on shops to effectively buy up the shop’s entire stock of cask wine or, alternatively, keep buying casks until their payments are declined,” Mr Soulio said.
“It’s very concerning behaviour, and I’m pleased to see local businesses agreeing to act responsibly and voluntarily impose these restrictions.”
From Monday 12 September, customers in Whyalla will be limited to the following quantities of takeaway liquor for restricted items per person per day:
- One cask of wine or port; OR
- Up to two bottles of spirits; OR
- One cask of wine or port and one bottle of spirits.
“These measures aren’t as extensive as those in place in Port Augusta, but we expect they will provide a sufficient deterrent to address the issue,” Mr Soulio said.
“As with the restrictions in Port Augusta, licensees will be provided with the ID Scan SA app, which will record transactions of restricted items over a 24 hour period to help staff identify when a person has reached their daily limit. Anyone purchasing casks or spirits will be required to produce identification.”
Mr Soulio said the voluntary restrictions in Whyalla would be monitored on an ongoing basis to determine whether further action is needed.
