We all want the Mornington Peninsula to be a place where everyone is supported to be happy and well, and our community spaces are safe and inclusive for all. Our children and young people deserve to be healthy and free from harmful influences as they grow up.
Mornington Peninsula Shire is committed to minimising harm from alcohol with the community. Whether directly or indirectly, harm from alcohol impacts almost all of us. It is strongly linked with violence, public misbehaviour and road accidents; and can lead to noise, litter, crime and property damage – all of which can impact your enjoyment of your home and local area and sense of security.
Ratepayers also bear the cost of alcohol use through services such as street cleaning, waste management, repairing vandalism and damage to public spaces, and responding to complaints. Alcohol is also a cause of serious long-term health problems, including heart disease, cancer, and poor mental health.
Community Alcohol Profile
In 2023, a comprehensive Community Alcohol Profile was developed for the Shire identifying the harms from alcohol experienced by our local community. Alcohol is the primary drug of concern on Mornington Peninsula leading to these impacts:
- On the Mornington Peninsula, alcohol causes more than 1,300 people to go to hospital and more than 700 people to need an ambulance each year – a higher rate than in other Melbourne areas.
- Family violence is at high levels and increasing.
- In April 2023 there were 811 liquor licenses on the Mornington Peninsula.
- For adults older than 30, alcohol is more likely to cause long-term health problems, such as cancer and other diseases.
- Alcohol puts young people at higher risk of being injured or assaulted, especially during Schoolies, weekends and summer holidays.
To access the full findings and insights from our Community Alcohol Profile, visit our web page: mornpen.vic.gov.au/alcoholharm
Adopting a harm prevention approach to alcohol
Based on the eye-opening data in our Community Alcohol Profile, it’s clear that we need to shift our existing Alcohol Policy from a management approach to a harm prevention approach.
To help inform this shift, we are asking you, our community, to have your say on the availability and impacts of alcohol consumption on the Mornington Peninsula.
Whether your insights and experiences with alcohol are direct or indirect, your feedback will help shape the development of our new Alcohol Harm Prevention Policy.
Once adopted, this Policy will guide what tangible actions we take to reduce alcohol harm locally and help to build a healthier and safer Mornington Peninsula community.
In practical terms, this could mean collaborating with service providers to increase access to support services, designing safer and more inclusive public spaces, delivering alcohol-free events and activities for our community, and advocating to the State and Federal Governments for increased liquor licensing restrictions.
Have your say
Share your insights on alcohol by completing our online survey at mornpen.vic.gov.au/alcoholsurvey
Hard copy forms are also available on request from any of the Shire’s Customer Service Centres at Hastings, Mornington and Rosebud.
You can also visit us in person at Mornington Community Support Centre’s Open Day on 10 April 2024. You’ll find us at 320 Main Street, Mornington, from 10.30am to 1.30pm.
In appreciation of your time, you’ll have the opportunity to go into a draw to win one of three $100 gift vouchers (your choice of either Ritchies IGA supermarket or Peninsula Cinemas).
Community consultation will open on 25 March and will close on 22 April 2024.
Need support?
If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction or experiencing family violence, you can reach out to the following not-for-profit community services for support, information and referral:
- Peninsula Health (multiple locations) – specialises in community health, rehabilitation and specialist services. Call 1300 665 781 or visit peninsulahealth.org.au
- Alcoholics Anonymous Australia (multiple locations). Call 1300 222 222 or visit aa.org.au
- Safe Steps Response Centre – seek help from family violence 24-hours a day. Call 1800 015 188 or visit safesteps.org.au
- Southern Peninsula Community Support (878 Point Nepean Road, Rosebud). Call 5986 1285 or visit spcsic.org
- Mornington Community Support Centre (320 Main Street, Mornington). Call 5975 1644 or visit mcisc.org.au
- Western Port Community Support (185 High Street, Hastings). Call 5979 2762 or visit wportcomsupport.org.au
Councillors Lisa Dixon, Despi O’Connor and Deputy Mayor Antonella Celi are Council representatives on the Hastings Liquor Industry Accord, Mornington Liquor Industry Accord and Southern Peninsula Liquor Industry Accord respectively.
Quotes attributable to Mayor Councillor Simon Brooks:
“We all have people in our lives who are harmed by alcohol, whether family members, friends or neighbours. From violence to accidents and health issues, the impact of alcohol use can be significant.
“While alcohol contributes to social vitality and plays a key role in many tourism ventures, you only have to see empty cans and bottles of booze discarded in our reserves or the increase in hospital admissions due to alcohol consumption to know that alcohol is having a very real impact on our community.
“I encourage you to have your say on this issue so that we can start to take a more holistic approach to alcohol on the Peninsula and make inroads to create a healthier community for everyone by reducing alcohol harm.”
