The restrictions announced by the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner prevent bottle shops from opening before 11am and list spirits, fortified wine/port and 2L cask wine as restricted items.

Customers are only allowed to buy one item per day, with cask sales above two litres banned.

Customers are also now required to show photo identification and details of the transaction – including name, address, type of liquor and quantity purchased – must be recorded in either an electronic or handwritten record and “retained by the licensee for the duration that the restrictions remain in force”.

However, the purchase limits do not apply to managers and supervisors of “station properties” or “companies operating mining ventures and other licensees”.

The restrictions will be in place for two weeks.

The Liquor and Gambling Commissioner and SA Police will be “closely monitoring the outcomes of these restrictions and will consider the next steps over the coming fortnight”, according to the Consumer and Business Services agency.

The agency said the restrictions were brought in place “based on advice from South Australia Police indicating there has been an increase in alcohol-related offences and antisocial behaviour in the last few weeks”.

“COVID-19 lockdowns in remote communities, coupled with extreme weather blocking highways to the north and west of Port Augusta has resulted in an increased population of non-residents unable to return home,” the agency added.

Michael White, executive officer of The South Australian Network of Drug and Alcohol Services, said licence restrictions “can be a positive mechanism for controlling access to alcohol”, but expressed concern about a lack of local consultation.

“For people who drink problematically access is likely to increase the amount consumed,” he said.

“My one concern is that there does not appear to have been any consultation with local alcohol and other drug services, particularly the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council or the several other services in the region.”

Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council CEO Scott Wilson, whose organisation runs two drug and alcohol rehab centres in Port Augusta, was unaware of the new restrictions when contacted by InDaily.

The Consumer and Business Services Agency said the restrictions were developed in consultation with “a number of key stakeholders” including impacted licensees and local member Dan Van Holst Pellekaan.

Port Augusta Mayor Brett Benbow said neither he or the council were involved in the decision but he “support(s) the trial occurring, data collection occurring, to see if it is effective or not”.

“It is an avenue which has not been trialled previously on those grounds,” he said, adding that outreach services and drug and alcohol centres have been used previously.

“Anti-social behaviour has been an ongoing issue.”