The Western Australian government recently announced punitive alcohol bans across Carnarvon. This ordinance has riled up a contentious and passionate discussion among local merchants and elected leaders. These regulations, implemented through Section 64 of the Liquor Act in May 2023, have significantly altered the way packaged liquor can be sold, leading to concerns from local traders about the negative impact on tourism.
Under the new regulations, packaged liquor can not be sold or supplied in Carnarvon on Sundays and Mondays. Sales Tuesdays through Saturdays, 12 PM – 7 PM. During these hours, there are limits on containers. Most local business owners think these new enforcement measures go too far. They argue that these draconian policies have led to a dramatic drop in visitation.
Business Impact and Visitor Decline
As the owner of Coral Coast Tourist Park, Joe Liang, said in response to a 98% decline in visitors. This season, attendance dropped in half. He painted a stark picture of what this means in practice, saying, “That’s a 50 percent cut. What should I do? Liang admitted that tourists were electing to avoid staying in Carnarvon and going straight to neighboring Exmouth.
Liang’s sentiments aren’t unique — many other local business owners voiced similar concerns over whether the new regulations would be effective in our program. And when they come here, they are very upset and surprised that they can’t purchase any beers or wines,” he added. “People want to buy before they leave. [It’s] very inconvenient, they complain, they’re surprised.”
Merome Beard, an attorney who represented the local businesses, lived to tell these fears. Surfrider spokesperson Greg Knudsen noted that visitors are bewildered by the unpredictable new regulations. They’re scratching their heads, almost completely baffled. Over time, there’s a lag that compounds enough to push them to just skip the problem entirely. Beard said that visually, we don’t have that.
Government Response and Local Reactions
Business owners are more frustrated than ever. In reply, Paul Papalia, the Minister for Tourism, has suggested that licensees be given permission to sell takeaway alcohol on these banned days, but only to tourists. This last minute proposal has blindsided most local Richard Licenseses who, in many cases, believe it muddy’s the waters of an already convoluted regulatory environment.
One local trader, Paul Dixon, labelled some of the proposed restrictions “draconian.” He made clear that these rules disregard what is best for tourists and local businesses. This gap between government policy implementation and the on-the-ground reality became a recurring frustration expressed by business owners.
Peter Peck further questioned whether the government was being clear in its communication about these new requirements. “Someone, somewhere has got their wires crossed. The minister has either been misled, or there’s double speak coming from the department,” he said.
Navigating the New Regulations
Reassuring Papalia’s promises that tourists will not be affected by some of the restrictions, confusion is still the name of the game. The change could profitably be extended as under existing regulations, tourists are permitted to buy takeaway booze on banned days provided it is imported from a public house. What’s more, they need to show that they’re a destination for tourists to be eligible for this exemption.
This requirement has introduced a whole other level of hassle for companies and travelers to deal with. Connecting the dots Many local traders fear that these complicated regulations are putting would-be customers off stopping in Carnarvon in the first place.
With the dawning awareness of the impact of Section 64, local businesses are panicking. At the same time, local advocates hope that an undoing of these regulations will help increase leisure and recreational tourism in their region. This new reality has exposed a gap in the guidelines, calling for clearer direction prioritizing public safety while allowing for economic viability.
