The City of Port Phillip has developed an Alcohol Action Plan to address alcohol-related harm through developing policy, strengthening partnerships, and advocacy. The plan involves gathering data, consulting residents and traders, liaising with agencies and police, and working with departments across the city on issues like events, licensing, transport, and services. The challenges for local governments include balancing different stakeholder needs, measuring impact, supporting effective long-term solutions, and managing costs related to alcohol in their communities.

1. 4/9/2012
Alcohol Action Plan
Alcohol and Other Drug Related Crime
and Disorder
The Australian Drug Foundation
Erika Robertson
Community & Health Development Officer

2. Main points for today
Outline the roles of Local Government in
this context
Brief overview of the approach the City of
Port Phillip has taken in the reduction
of alcohol related harm
Examples of the work

3. Local Government
Address the issues that can be contentious in
the community at a local level
To find a balance between traders, residents
and visitors
Measure change in demographics
Builds on evidence
Plans for the future needs of the city

5. City of Port Phillip
An attractive destination – thousands over weekends
Approximately 680 licensed premises including 444 in the
major activity centres1
– General License
– Late night (General)
– Late night (on premises)
– Packaged Liquor
– Restaurant and café
– Limited
1. ICLEI Oceania Cities for Safe and Healthy Communities, 2010, Baseline Data and Precinct
Report, City of Port Phillip.

6. City of Port Phillip
Four main activity precincts
– Fitzroy St and Acland St, St Kilda
– Bay St, Port Melbourne
– Clarendon St, South Melbourne
– Carlisle St, Balaclava
Smaller centres
– Elwood
– Albert Park

7. Internal Approach: The Alcohol
Action Plan 2012 - 2013
No formal policy or formal statement from Council.
Alcohol Action Plan captures, collates and reports
annually back on the actions taken internally in
Council to address alcohol related harm. These
include:
Developing Policy
Advocacy
Strengthening partnerships
Enforcement
Service Delivery

8. Responsible departments in
developing policy
Strategic Planning Community &
Health
Development

9. Alcohol as a issue addressed by
teams
Major Event Community
Planning Development
Family Youth and Sports and
Children Recreation

10. Internal and external advocacy
Traffic Economic
Engineers Development
Community &
Health
Development

11. Enforcement and compliance
City
Local Laws Development

12. Service delivery based on policy and
advocacy
Local Laws Cleaning
Services

13. Summary: Alcohol Action Plan
2012 - 2013
Developing
Advocacy Enforcement
Public Policy
Strengthening
Service Delivery
Partnerships

14. Three main areas
Developing Policy
Strengthening Partnerships
Advocacy

15. Developing Policy
Strategic Planning (urban planning)
Gathering data for working around mixed land use and
activity centre planning. Research on cumulative
impacts, liaise with IMAP.
Community Development
Consultation with residents and traders in the area,
gathering qualitative (and where possible quantitative)
data on trends. This fed back through to Strategic
Planners and Local Laws teams.

16. Strengthening Partnerships
Community Development
Marginalised population
Working with agency providers to identify trends
Liaising with traders through the Alcohol Accord (who
have been advocates for greater training for security
personnel and staff through the Safer Bars Program,
RSA and Conflict Resolution Program)
Liaising with Victoria Police to identify trends

17. Advocacy
Traffic Engineers
Accessibility including transport, taxi ranks, traffic
management
Economic Development & Community
Development
Working specifically with traders, the community for
the need to address the different issues in our
community – day and night

18. Challenges facing Local
Government
Balancing needs, wants, perspectives, state
policies versus local policies
Data – Are we making a difference in reducing
alcohol related harm?
Solid evidence of effective policy, programs and
approaches
Culture, approach and long term changes and what
are council’s roles?
Costs - both costed and not costed to Local
Government including processing and opposing
new licenses in the area
Perceptions versus the reality of crime

19. Thanks
Erika Robertson
9209 6606
eroberts@portphillip.vic.gov.au
www.portphillip.vic.gov.au