Alcohol restrictions extended in regional South Australia in bid to curb antisocial behaviour

Signage regarding temporary liquor restrictions have been put up in bottle shops around Port Augusta. (ABC North and West: Georgia Roberts)

The state government has extended liquor restrictions in Port Augusta until August as the Liquor and Gaming Commission considers making the measures permanent.  

The restrictions, which were set to be lifted this week, were originally brought in to help reduce antisocial behaviour by restricting the sale of spirits, cask wine and fortified wine to single sales.

Port Augusta had been struggling to control antisocial behaviour and recently received funding from the state government to revive the defunct CitySafe program, which employed two full-time security guards.

Liquor and Gambling Commissioner Dini Soulio said he would review data compiled by the commission since the measures had been brought in before deciding whether to permanently extend the restrictions.

"We are looking at hospital data, police data, ambulance data and as much information as we can gather, as well as admissions to health services," he said.

While the Commissioner could not provide the data to the ABC, Mr Soulio said he would be obtaining further information to review over the next couple of weeks.

"We would also like to see feedback from community groups, Aboriginal groups, South Australia Police and [Port Augusta] council.

Bottle shops in Port Augusta will continue to open later. (ABC News: Georgia Roberts )

Restrictions helping

Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council chief executive Scott Wilson, who oversees the sobering up day centre Stepping Stones and Footsteps Road to Recovery rehabilitation centre in the city, had previously been skeptical of the measures.

But Mr Wilson said the restrictions had a positive impact on some of his clients.

Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council CEO Scott Wilson hopes the restrictions will be extended. (ABC Riverland: Nadia Isa)

"What we've noticed is less intoxicated people heading into our day centre at 7:30 or 8 o'clock in the morning," Mr Wiilson said.

"You have clients that come in that might be on insulin or blood pressure tablets and if they were intoxicated, they would be forgetting to take them."

Mr Wilson said he hoped the restrictions would be made permanent – particularly limits on bottle shop opening hours – and that similar rules would be implemented in nearby cities and towns.

He said the opening times of bottle shops had, at times, exactly correlated with the number of clients presenting to his venues earlier in the day.

"Alcohol-based programs have to start up around the same time as bottle shops open," he said.