Alcohol to be banned at 10 popular waterfront reserves around West Lakes in dry zone bid

Ten popular waterfront parks, playgrounds and reserves would become dry zones in a bid to stop anti-social behaviour by drunken louts.

Alcohol could soon be banned from ten popular waterfront reserves around West Lakes in a bid to curb drunken anti-social behaviour.

Charles Sturt Council consulted the community on the move after seeing an increase in complaints from residents living near some of the reserves as well a verbal request for dry zones from SAPOL.

The complaints concerned only two sites – Aquatic Reserve and Neighbourhood Reserve – but council feared creating a dry zone at those two would “simply shift unsavoury alcohol related behaviour to other major reserves around West Lakes”, documents show.

Oarsman Reserve is one of 10 waterfront reserves at West Lakes that would become dry zones under a plan

Elected members this week voted to make application to the Department for Consumer and Business Services to request 24/7 long‐term dry zones to be established at the following reserves:

• Aquatic Reserve

• Dotterel Reserve

• Freshwater Lake

• Inlet Reserve

• Mariners Reserve

• Neighbourhood Reserve

• Oarsman Reserve

• Settlers Reserve

• Tiranna Reserve

• Trust Reserve

Aquatic Reserve, West Lakes

Dotterel Reserve, west Lakes

Freshwater Reserve is one of 10 waterfront reserves at West Lakes that would become dry zones under a plan.

More than 300 locals took part in the consultation, with most backing some form of alcohol restrictions at each of the sites.

One person in favour of the proposal said they witnessed an increase in drinking “particularly at the park near the rowing club”.

“Children’s play areas are not a pub and people shouldn’t be drunk at them.

“There is a lot of drinking near the toilet blocks near the rowing club on Military Road and my elderly dad is now afraid to use the toilet block on his walks or walk later at night.”

Charles Sturt Council will seek to establish dry zones around 10 waterfront reserves at West Lakes.

Others against the move believed a ban punished all visitors.

“This is an attempt to control a few by imposing laws on everyone,” one respondent said.

“Most people behave responsibly in the parks and imposing these rules probably won’t change the behaviours of the few who drink.”

Another resident against the proposal said the groups that “abuse alcohol … will continue to do this while sitting next to a dry zone sign.”

“Target the offenders, not mums and dads have a quiet social drink at the park,” they said.

The proposal has been backed a number of agencies including SAPOL, who have also asked council for “statutory powers … to effectively manage concerns”.

Local MP Stephen Mullighan also backed the dry zone plan.

“My office has received complaints about anti-social behaviour occurring at local reserves, with alcohol typically playing a role,” he said.

Council saw an increase in similar complaints at Midcourse and Shoreline Reserves in West Lakes a few years ago and moved to establish dry zones at the two sites in 2019.

Since then, it has not received any complaints relating to alcohol fuelled “unsavoury behaviour” at the two reserves.