The Leeton Shire Council is seeking community feedback on the continuation of Alcohol-Free Zones (AFZs) in Leeton and Yanco for four years, with the current AFZs set to expire on 1 April.
Located primarily in the Leeton CBD and main streets of Yanco, the zones were established with the goal of addressing issues of unacceptable street drinking, enhancing community safety and improving public amenity.
“AFZs prohibit the consumption of alcohol in designated public areas, such as streets, footpaths and Council carparks and provide police with authority to enforce this prohibition. The zones have proven to be an effective tool in reducing alcohol-related anti-social behaviour,” said Council Manager, Planning, Building & Health, Francois Van Der Berg.
“With the AFZs expiring on 1 April 2025, Council is now considering important evaluation criteria such as the factors that originally supported the establishments of the zones, the success of the zones in reducing unacceptable street drinking (including NSW Police statistics) and any additional measures that may complement the AFZs, such as community education programs,” said Mr Van Der Berg.
The Council will also engage directly with local stakeholders including NSW Police, local businesses and community groups to consider their feedback.
The community is invited to make a submission including on the effectiveness of the current AFZs, the ongoing need for the zones in the existing locations and any additional areas that should be included.
