The South Australian Government has announced that trial restrictions on the sale of cask wine in the city of Whyalla are set to continue over the summer, following a meeting of the Whyalla Liquor Accord earlier this month.
Originally beginning in April 2025, the trial was expected to take place over a three-month period to reduce anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related harm in Whyalla and surrounding areas.
Under the liquor accord, licensees who sell takeaway liquor in the CBD have agreed to not sell four and five litre cask wine or casks of port or fortified wine of any size.
The cask wine restrictions add to existing limits, which allow customers to purchase only one one-litre or two-litre cask of wine, two bottles of spirits, or one one-litre or two-litre cask of wine, and one bottle of spirits per day.
The recent meeting, convened by Liquor and Gambling Commissioner Brett Humphrey, considered the effectiveness of the trial, and options moving forward.
Humphrey explained that the trial would continue to provide further long-term data on its effectiveness.
“This month’s Accord meeting provided us with a constructive opportunity to consider the impact of restrictions to date. It was agreed the trial restrictions would be extended until the end of April next year, to give us a full year’s worth of data to consider before arriving at a longer-term decision.
“The imposition of restrictions on the sale of takeaway liquor is just one lever that can be used to combat alcohol-related harm and anti-social behaviour,” he said.
Michael Waters, Retail Drinks Australia CEO reaffirmed the organisation’s support of the trial as it continues into the new year.
“Retail Drinks Australia continues to support the targeted approach towards liquor-related issues and the implementation of local community-led measures in Whyalla. The trial was implemented alongside a range of other police initiatives that collectively has seen reductions in anti-social behaviour. Importantly, the extension of the trial has the support of the local Liquor Accord,” he told National Liquor News.
He continued: “We note the Council’s need for further data to establish the effectiveness of the liquor restrictions, and we look forward to ongoing collaboration with them, SA Police, and Consumer and Business Services through to the end of trial period at the end of April 2026.”
The Whyalla City Council agreed that while preliminary indications had been positive, there was a consensus that more data was needed to see if there was a consistent decrease in anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related harm in the region.
During the Accord, South Australia Police based in Whyalla suggested that since the restrictions have been in place, there has been a significant decrease in disturbances and an immediate downturn in expiations.
Humphrey praised the commitment of licensees and authorities to work together to find solutions to the ongoing impacts of alcohol-related harm and anti-social behaviour.
“These are complex issues, that require a range of perspectives. Having all the key players – including representatives of the Department of Human Services, South Australia Police, the Whyalla City Council, the Australian Hotels Association SA and licensees – ready to work together to develop constructive, commonsense solutions relating to the sale of liquor in the region is essential.”
Set to reconvene a year on from the trial’s start, Humphrey confirmed the Accord will meet to analyse the findings.
“I intend to convene a further Liquor Accord meeting before the end of April to discuss the next steps and the further evidence that’s been gathered.”