Police in a remote coastal town are temporarily banning a type of cask wine in a bid to stamp out a spike in alcohol-related violence.
The five-day trial in Geraldton, West Australia, 424km north of Perth, is set to remain in place from Thursday until midnight next Tuesday.
The sale of four-litre Fruity Lexia and Tawny Port wines has been banned and punters will be allowed to buy just one two-litre cask each day.
Geraldton Police Station officer in charge acting senior sergeant Stuart Gerreyn said the plan was aimed to stamp out alcohol-fuelled violence.
“We have had an increase in violence and anti-social behaviour along the foreshore, particularly near the cinemas and the basketball court,” he told the Geraldton Guardian.
“There is nxjmtzywo particular day of the week or time of day when this is happening, it is just basically from when the bottle shops open to when it gets dark.
“People are buying their goon bags, drinking them and going back and buying another one.”
Mr Gerreyn added that if the measures were successful, they could become permanent.
“Other regions have their own issues with alcohol consumption in public places, but we would like to try get on top of it before it becomes a major issue for us,” he said.
The ban is the first time similar restrictions have been implemented in Geraldton.
The temporary rules don’t apply to tourists who plan on drinking outside the town.
Similar exemptions are available for mine site operators and farmers who don’t plan on drinking in or near Geraldton.
Fruity Lexia and Tawny Port are popular brands of cask wine which provide punters with a sweet tasting, highly concentrated alcohol for low prices.
