Aussie Town Bans Goon Sacks To Stamp Down On Alcohol-Fuelled Violence

A temporary ban on goon sacks is underway in the Western Australian town of Geraldton in response to an increase in alcohol-fuelled violence.

Geraldton police are implementing a five-day trial that will see the sale of cask-favourites 4L Fruity Lexia and Tawny Port wines restricted from Thursday (March 31) until midnight on Tuesday (April 5). 

For all other goon bags, a $15 minimum price has been imposed, while residents will be limited to being able to buy just one 2L cask of wine per day. 

With a spike in violence in the town Senior Sergeant, Stuart Gerreyen hopes the trial will help reduce alcohol-related crime. 

He told The West Australian: “We have had an increase in violence and anti-social behaviour along the foreshore, particularly near the cinemas and the basketball court.

“There is no particular day of the week or time of day when this is happening, it is just basically from when the bottle shops open to when it gets dark. People are buying their goon bags, drinking them and going back and buying another one.”

Senior Sergeant Gerreyn says the police would look at making the restrictions more permanent if the trial proved successful. 

He said: “Other regions have their own issues with alcohol consumption in public places, but we would like to try get on top of it before it becomes a major issue for us.”

Notices have been placed across bottle shops in Geraldton outlining the rules of the alcohol ban. 

However, the temporary ban does not pertain to tourists who are passing through the town to consume alcohol elsewhere.

The notice reads: “The restrictions do not apply to bona fide tourists passing through town who are purchasing packaged liquor for consumption out of town, or to wine site operators, pastoralists or other persons conduction a business out of town who are purchasing packaged liquor for consumption out of town.”

For those looking to consume alcohol outside of town, they must have registered with the licensee with their next destination and vehicle registration, which would then be endorsed by the police. 

The wine in question, Fruity Lexia and Tawny Port are known to be popular brands that provide highly concentrated alcohol for a low price.