Dry Zones Facing Extinction in Melbourne's East

RESIDENTS in Melbourne’s ritzy east are increasingly voting to remove the “dry zone” restrictions around their streets, in what could result in the government and council putting forward a ballot, to remove these zones altogether.

The Director of Liquor Licensing, via the Victorian Electoral Commission, this week distributed ballot papers asking residents to vote for, or against, a liquor licence application at 732 Burke Road – or on the “dry side” of the popular retail strip.

Any venue in a dry zone that wishes to obtain a liquor licence needs to win approval of local residents on a case-by-case basis.

But VEC spokesman Paul Thornton Smith says that of all polls conducted since 2004, residents have voted in favour of granting a liquor licence.

If this trend continues, the government and Boroondara City Council may decide to conduct a major review of dry areas in Camberwell and Box Hill, in what could be the end of an era, for the precinct.

Given the pending application of 732 Burke Road, the council declined to comment.

The last council to propose a major review of dry zones, was the City of Whitehorse in 1999, when residents voted narrowly in favour of allowing licensed restaurants within its catchment.

Eastern suburbs affected by the “dry zone” include Ashburton, Ashwood, Balwyn, Box Hill, Camberwell, Canterbury and North Balwyn.

Any realignment of removal of zones could set a favourable precedent for cafes, restaurants, bars – and of course landlords, particularly those on the eastern side of Burke Road.