By Alesha Capone
FINES are no deterrent to people who frequent the St Albans CBD to drink alcohol, according to a report commissioned by Brimbank City Council.
The study, conducted by Victoria University’s Ramez Bathish and The Burnet Institute’s Peter Higgs, researched public drinking and drug use within the St Albans activity area.
The report was designed to assist in developing the council’s Community Safety Framework and Action Plan.
The study found street drinkers came into St Albans an average of three to four times per week, but their activity was “unobtrusive and discreet”.
The report said street drinking in St Albans centred on St Albans Square, the Alfrieda St bus terminal and Errington Reserve.
“The anti-social behaviour associated with street drinking appears to occur as occasional ‘flare-ups’ which are generally minor indiscretions confined within the group, however these actions appear to be having an impact on some businesses in the vicinity of the bus terminal,” the report said.
Among the street drinkers interviewed, 77 per cent said they did not pay after being fined for having alcohol in public.
“For this group, street drinking is an entrenched activity and given the disregard for the local laws around alcohol restrictions it seems rational that another alternative is needed in addressing street drinking in St Albans,” the study said.
Among the recommended alternatives were a leaflet based awareness campaign “explaining why their street drinking can be problematic for members of the public”, an outreach worker and “the creation of a specific street drinking protocol between police and local government”.
The study also found 60 per cent of street drinkers in St Albans have been frequenting the area for a decade or more.
St Albans Traders Association secretary Asip Demiri said the present Brimbank City Council administrators were doing positive work to improve the area’s lighting, design and parking issues.
However, Mr Demiri said regular drinkers at the Alfrieda St bus terminal were a concern.
“It’s not a good look, many mums with prams and children would be reluctant to go past. It does not help the image of the area,” he said.
Brimbank City Council’s community wellbeing general manager Kelly Grigsby said the council’s St Albans Connect team worked with traders, to respond to their concerns regarding street drinking.
“Council officers also undertake regular patrols of St Albans CBD in collaboration with Victoria Police, to engage with public drinkers, and where necessary, enforce council by-laws,” she said.
She said the council also targeted public drinking through several programs, such as a partnership with Jesuit Social Services to deliver a weekly outreach program at Errington Reserve.
