St Kilda beach booze ban given green light
A St Kilda beach summer booze ban will be imposed after Port Phillip councillors voted to prohibit alcohol and glassware on the foreshore.
Inner South
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A St Kilda beach booze ban will be imposed after Port Phillip councillors agreed to prohibit alcohol and glassware last night.
Councillors, in a 6-3 vote, implemented the ban in a council meeting lasting more than four hours.
The permanent summer booze ban will be imposed on the St Kilda foreshore, with no drinking allowed on the popular beach between November 1 and March 31.
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The move comes just days after up to 100 youths were involved in a violent alcohol-fuelled brawl.
Councillors heard from 19 speakers, including St Kilda Lifesaving Club president Corey Lovell and Luna Park general manager Matthew Butta.
The majority of speakers voiced their support for the ban on alcohol and glassware amid concerns about recent increases in the level of violence.
The ban will be reviewed between March and August next year in order to gauge its effectiveness.
Violence and the escalating number of alcohol-related incidents on the St Kilda foreshore prompted widespread calls for the booze ban.
A number of locals, including Port Phillip police Inspector Jason Kelly, said the move was a “no-brainer”.
The same ban was recommended by council officers in March but councillors opted for a watered-down version, only restricting alcohol consumption between 8pm and noon during the summer months.
In a letter to the council, Insp Kelly said the 16-hour ban was “extremely challenging” for police to enforce.
“Victoria Police is often faced with a large mass gathering of people who have consumed alcohol often for may hours prior to being asked to crease consumption,” he wrote.
“This presents a challenge to enforce the bylaw and one that is challenging when large groups of youth attend the foreshore.”
St Kilda Tourism & Events, which represents a number of nearby traders, also called for a permanent summer booze ban.
The council officers’ report stated St Kilda’s reputation had suffered as a result of “negative media attention” following the recent violent incidents at the foreshore.
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