Alcohol restrictions

Restricted areas | Dry places | Home brew

Restrictions on the type and quantity of liquor that can be brought into various remote Indigenous communities are being gradually implemented in Queensland. This is an early intervention strategy to address alcohol-related crime and violence in Indigenous communities.

Search by Community to find information on each community currently involved in Meeting Challenges, Making Choices, including communities with alcohol restrictions, through an interactive map.

Restricted areas

A restricted area restricts the carriage of alcohol within a defined area.

When a restricted area is declared by law, a limit is set on the type and quantity of liquor that can be carried within the area. There may be a zero limit, prohibiting the carriage of any liquor in the restricted area, or alternatively, a carriage limit may be set specifying the amount and type of liquor which may be carried in the restricted area.

How are restricted areas declared?

Community justice groups, established in each Indigenous community, will recommend to Government what alcohol limits should be established. The process of defining restricted areas and regulating the alcohol limits under legislation can take eight to twelve weeks. Once the Government processes the restricted area details, the conditions will be widely communicated through signage, advertising and other mediums.

Who enforces restricted areas?

Queensland State police and liquor licensing investigators will have the power to take action for breaching restricted area conditions, once those conditions are officially regulated through Government.

For more information on restricted areas visit our Fact sheets page.

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Dry places

A dry place is an area where a person cannot drink or carry alcohol. An offence is committed if a person does either of these things in a dry place.

A community justice group can declare any place in their community to be “dry” except private places such as houses and traditional owners’ out-stations. Private places can only be declared dry at the occupier’s request. A community justice group must give notice and call for submissions and objections before it can declare a dry place.

For more information on dry places visit our fact sheets page.

To download legislation documents, brochures and forms relating to Liquor Licensing go to the Queensland Government's Liquor Licensing Division website.

Home brew

Amendments to the Aboriginal Communities (Justice and Land Matters) Act 1984 were passed by Parliament on 20 October 2004. The new amendments will allow some communities to ban the possession of home-brew kits and homemade alcohol. A copy of the amended legislation and related fact sheet is available from the fact sheets page.