Who Is Affected by the Daily Limits

The daily limits apply to every person buying packaged liquor from a takeaway outlet within the Shire of Broome. This covers bottle shops, the drive-through outlets attached to hotels and any other licensed venue that sells alcohol to be consumed off the premises. The restrictions are not aimed at a particular group of residents or visitors. Locals, tourists, FIFO workers and people passing through town are all subject to the same rules.

Because the limits are tracked per person rather than per shop, buying your full allowance at one outlet means you cannot buy more at another on the same day. Each purchase is recorded against your identification, and the total builds up across all takeaway outlets in the Shire. Sales that are not takeaway, such as a drink at a pub, a meal with wine at a restaurant or a drink at a club, are not counted against your daily allowance.

Acceptable Identification

To use the Takeaway Alcohol Management System, you need to show valid photo identification each time you buy takeaway liquor. The licensee scans your ID, and the system checks your age and the amount you have already bought that day. Without acceptable identification, the outlet cannot legally sell you packaged liquor.

The types of ID commonly accepted include:

• a current Western Australian driver's licence or an interstate driver's licence
• a current Australian or overseas passport
• a WA Proof of Age card or an equivalent photo card from another state
• other approved photo identification that can be scanned by the outlet's equipment

Visitors from interstate or overseas should carry their ID with them when they plan to buy alcohol. Expired documents are generally not accepted, so check the expiry date before you go to the shop.

Why the Restrictions Were Introduced

The restrictions were brought in to reduce alcohol-related harm in Broome and the wider Kimberley region. High levels of alcohol consumption have been linked to family and domestic violence, injuries, hospital presentations, anti-social behaviour and long-term health problems. Local community leaders, health workers, police and service providers have all raised concerns about these impacts over many years.

Earlier measures in the region, including limits on certain products and restrictions on trading hours, had already shown that controls on supply can make a difference. TAMS builds on that approach by closing a gap that existed when a person could visit several outlets in one day and buy the maximum at each. By recording sales across all outlets, the system aims to keep daily purchases within the set limits and to support safer, healthier communities.

Information for Licensees and Staff

Licensees and their staff play a central role in making the system work. Before completing a sale, staff must scan the customer's identification and confirm that the requested items fit within the permitted quantities and combinations. If a purchase would exceed the daily limit, the sale must be refused or reduced to an allowable amount.

Staff are also expected to refuse service to anyone who cannot provide acceptable ID, and to remain alert to people trying to buy on behalf of others or to split a purchase to get around the limits. Penalties can apply to licensees who sell more than the allowed amount, so training and consistent procedures at the counter are important. Customers can help by being patient at busy times, having their ID ready and understanding that staff are following the law rather than making a personal decision.