From this morning, people in Whyalla will be subject to daily purchase limits on cask wines and spirits, following an order from the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner Dini Soulio last week.

Customers in Whyalla will be limited each day to purchasing either:

• one cask of wine or port, or
• up to two bottles of spirits, or
• one cask of wine or port and one bottle of spirits.

Anyone purchasing cask wine or spirits at a Whyalla bottle shop will also be asked to produce identification.

The order comes after Soulio earlier this month decided to keep similar restrictions on the sale of alcohol in nearby Port Augusta in place indefinitely, citing a positive effect on antisocial behaviour and reduced pressure on local support services.

But his review into the Port Augusta restrictions, which have been in place since February 8, also noted “anecdotal feedback” from licensees that the restrictions “have resulted in a displacement effect of persons travelling to Whyalla and Port Pirie to purchase takeaway alcohol, particularly cask wine”.

Local SA Police members also submitted to Soulio’s review that people from Port Augusta were travelling via taxi or private vehicle to Whyalla and Port Pirie to purchase alcohol and circumvent the restrictions.

Soulio said the new restrictions in Whyalla “aren’t as extensive” as those in place in Port Augusta, but he expects it will “provide a sufficient deterrent to address the issue”.

“We’ve heard reports from local liquor store owners who’ve seen customers converge on shops to effectively buy up the shop’s entire stock of cask wine or, alternatively, keep buying casks until their payments are declined,” Soulio said in a statement.

“It’s very concerning behaviour, and I’m pleased to see local businesses agreeing to act responsibly and voluntarily impose these restrictions.”

Bottle shops in Whyalla are also being provided with an app to record transactions of restricted items and help staff identify customers who have reached their daily limit.

The same app has been provided to the bottle shops in Port Augusta.

Soulio said the restrictions in Whyalla would be monitored on an “ongoing basis”.