Dry area implemented
Whyalla is now officially a dry area, following majority public support for the proposal earlier this year.
Whyalla City Council received thousands of responses to a survey asking residents if they wanted to retain the existing dry area or move to a city-wide dry area. Nearly two out of three respondents chose the city-wide option.
As a result, an application to the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner to have the city-wide dry area implemented was submitted and approved.
Mayor Phill Stone said this had now been gazetted by the State Government, allowing the city-wide dry area to officially come into effect from today (Monday 1 December).
“This implementation gives police immediate powers to confiscate alcohol from individuals drinking in public places and to move them on, which will hopefully help address some of the issues we’ve been having,” Mayor Stone said.
“We’ll also help increase awareness of the changes by increasing signage installed across the city and providing regular reminders via our various channels.”
Mayor Stone said it was important to highlight that this doesn’t impact alcohol being consumed at private properties, including people’s homes and front yards, or licenced venues like pubs, clubs and sporting grounds.
“The dry area only applies to public spaces such as parks, footpaths, playgrounds, foreshore, car parks and shopping centres that aren’t already licenced,” he said.
“People can also apply to Consumer and Business Services for short-term liquor licences to enable them to consume, sell or supply alcohol in a public space within a defined timeframe.”
Mayor Stone said the dry area was only one step in a much larger program.
“There is no silver bullet, but the one thing within council’s control is to determine the section of the city that is covered by a dry area, which is why we have taken action on a city-wide dry area following majority community support for the initiative,” Mayor Stone said.
“It will take a focused, multi-agency response to tackle the cause of the ongoing issues to achieve real improvements.
“This will need to include addressing housing issues; increased police resources; helping those who are at-risk to access support; and a host of other measures.
“We are committed to this process and will continue to work with various community groups and service agencies to see further improvements implemented.”
We strongly encourage residents to read the full report tabled earlier this year, outlining responses, promotion, comments and various statistical data; as well as the reasoning for engaging regarding a city-wide dry area versus a partial extension, you can find it here.
There is also an extensive FAQ below which will answer many of your questions.
1. What is a dry area?
A 'dry area' is an alcohol-free zone. Under the Liquor Licensing Act 1997, the consumption of or possession of liquor (in open containers) is prohibited in this area. A person who consumes or has possession of opened liquor in a dry area is guilty of an offence, which carries a maximum penalty of $1250. The purpose of a dry area is to minimise any potential risk or negative impact on the amenity of a public area caused by anti-social behaviour associated with excessive alcohol consumption. Dry areas are signposted with 'No Alcohol' signs and enforced by SAPOL. The dry area provides a useful ‘tool’ for SAPOL to confiscate liquor that is in the possession and/or being consumed by individuals within the dry area, particularly in public areas such as reserves; main shopping precincts; car parks; beaches and foreshores; and communities where drinking in public places is an indicator of complex social issues.
It is not an offence to have alcohol while genuinely passing through a dry area if:
* It's unopened and in the original container in which it was purchased from a licensed premises
* It's in the course of carrying on a business, such as a packaged liquor sales licensee delivering alcohol
* You live near a dry area and must pass through it to enter your home
* The alcohol is for religious purposes
Long-term dry areas are designed to work as part of a broader local-level strategy to reduce alcohol-related problems in the area.
2. What are the benefits of a city-wide dry area?
- SAPOL can confiscate alcohol from individual(s) in any public places across the city, giving them the greatest scope to address alcohol-related issues more consistently across the city
- ‘Simplicity’ of a blanket, city-wide arrangements – avoids confusion of ‘where can I / can’t I drink in public’
- Based on experiences in places such as Port Augusta, a city-wide implementation – combined with regular enforcement – can assist in reducing anti-social and criminal behaviour resulting from public drinking, while helping locals and visitors feel safer right across the city
- Prevents the risk of simply shifting the issue to other part(s) of the city
- ‘Acceptable/responsible’ alcohol consumption can still occur in public spaces across the city, provided a short-term liquor licence has been obtained
3. Why did you only consult on implementing a city-wide dry area as opposed to simply increasing the existing dry area?
We looked at various dry area extension options, each with their pros and cons, and there was no ‘easy fix’ that seemed ideal. The concern is that any extension would result in the issues simply being shifted to another part of the city. The blanket dry area across the entire city was therefore deemed the best option to take to the community for consideration.
4. Why did it take so long?
- There is no quick fix for this issue
- It was important we heard from the broader community first, as there could be numerous consequences from such a significant change, so any decision needs to be fully informed and considered by weighing up all the potential pros and cons.
- There are legislated State Government timeframes to make any major changes to a dry area, including a four-month implementation period
5. How does a city-wide dry area solve the problems we see in/around the Westland area?
It won’t solve it, but it will give SAPOL powers to curb public drinking and any associated anti-social behaviour across the city. This still does not fix the root-cause(s) of issues that need to be addressed in a broader multi-agency approach, which council is already working on with local agencies.
6. Would any change cost ratepayers and increase rates?
The main cost to ratepayers would be signage across the city, which will not have an impact on rates.
7. What if I forget about the dry area and am caught drinking in public?
There will be an implementation period of education / warning. There will also be increased signage installed across the city and regular reminders via council’s various channels.
8. Does this mean alcohol can only be consumed at licenced premises?
Alcohol can continue to be consumed at private properties – the dry area only applies to public spaces (i.e. parks, footpaths, playgrounds, foreshore, car parks, shopping centres etc).
9. How do you get a short-term liquor licence for a public space?
Anyone wanting to sell, supply and/or consume alcohol within a public place that is within a dry area can apply to the Consumer Business Services for a Short-Term Liquor Licence (apply here: https://whycc.au/3M0zbwt). For example, if a family wanted to have a birthday party in a park or a concert / event was to be held in Civic Park, short-term liquor licences can be granted in advance for these purposes. This comes with prescribed timeframes to allow for processing / approval, so it needs to be applied for in advance and there is a cost to obtain such a licence. This would obviously be problematic for a spontaneous decision of a family to go to a local park to have a BBQ and consume alcohol.
10. I don’t agree with the city-wide dry area – how do I provide feedback on the decision?
The community had ample opportunity to have their say on their preference, with the survey available over a six-week period earlier in 2025. It was extensively promoted by council to ensure the majority of the community was aware of how to have their say during the consultation. This saw ~2,500 responses, with the majority voting in favour of a city-wide dry area. However, residents are always welcome to provide feedback on any council-related matters – you can do so via the My Local Services app, emailing council@whyalla.sa.gov.au, or calling 8640 3444.