As of Tuesday, almost all bottle shops around the country will introduce a limit on how much you can buy, in order to end stockpiling. Previously, only Dan Murphy’s and BWS had limits.
The new rules apply to all BWS, Liquorland, Dan Murphy’s, Aldi, Vintage Cellars and First Choice Liquor stores. Selected Cellarbrations, Bottle-O, IGA Liquor, Duncans, Thirsty Camel, Liquor Legends, Urban Cellars and Liquor Stax stores will also impose the limits. In short: pretty much everywhere.
From now on you’ll be limited to two cases each of beer, cider and mixed drinks, 12 bottles of wine, two goon sacks and two bottles of spirits.
“We know that consumers like to feel certainty of supply during times of crisis, and our members want to do their part to encourage people continuing to purchase alcohol responsibly as they normally would,” said Julie Ryan, CEO of Retail Drinks Australia.
“However, it was clear that uncertainty on the impact of supply following the closure of pubs, clubs and restaurants last week caused some people to purchase differently.
“We want to now send a clear message bottle shops remain an essential service and there are no issues of supply.”
Because bottle shops have been labelled an essential service by the government, you’ll still be able to purchase as often as you’d like. These new rules are simply to stop people from hoarding booze out of panic. We’d hate to have another toilet paper scenario.
The voluntary restrictions won’t apply in Western Australia, where the state government has already introduced stricter measures.
For the rest of the country, it means we can’t stock up quite as much for those cold isolation nights.
