Play Your Part

We're expecting a warm summer and therefore lots of people visiting our beautiful beaches, parks and reserves. 

You can help us ensure that our shared spaces remain safe, clean and fun for everyone over the busy summer period by following our summer bans and restrictions and by disposing of rubbish responsibly.

We've also included some handy summer tips here for you too.

Alcohol bans

Alcohol bans are in place to ensure that our public spaces remain safe and fun for everyone and that we can avoid celebrations from getting out of hand.

Every summer, the annual St Kilda foreshore alcohol ban runs from 1 November until 31 March. The ban covers all foreshore beaches, reserves and parkland from Langridge Street to Thackeray Street.

There are also public holiday-specific citywide alcohol bans in place over New Year's (8 pm 30 December to 12 midday 2 January) and Australia Day (8 pm 25 January to 12 midday 27 January). As well as event-specific alcohol bans for St Kilda Festival and Grand Prix.

The bans are enforced by Victoria Police with support from our Local Law Officers, who will be out in force this summer. Make sure you’re prepared in order to avoid receiving a $192 fine or having your alcohol confiscated.

Apart from the bans that occur during our summer months, we also have alcohol bans that are in effect all year round. Visit our Alcohol bans webpage for the full list.

Glass ban

Broken glass can quickly break up the summer fun. We’re asking that all residents and visitors leave glass at home all year round.

The glass ban applies to our foreshore beaches, reserves and parklands spanning from Elwood to Port Melbourne. This means that you cannot take any kind of glass items onto the foreshore without a permit.

If you bring glass to any areas where it is not permitted, you risk receiving a $192 fine and having your glass items confiscated.

Visit the Glass ban page for a foreshore glass map and for more information.

Dog restrictions

From 1 November to 31 March, dog off-leash restrictions change, especially on our beaches. Signs are in place to help you differentiate on and off-leash areas.

We understand that that summer is a great time to let your pooch play leash-free. That’s why we have designated dog off-leash areas available across the City.

Random patrols are frequently conducted throughout our beaches and reserves and on-the-spot fines of between $192 and $385 can be given to owners for:

• dogs wandering at large 
• not having dogs on leashes when they must be
• failing to carry a bag and pick up after your dog.

No Camping

Camping is not allowed on any Council land or public space, in any vehicle, tent, caravan or any other form of temporary accommodation.

To make this clear to visitors, we have placed 'no camping' signs all along the foreshore and in parks.

Our Local Law Officers will be patrolling the beach car parks, reserves and streets at all hours enforcing the camping laws and cleaning up camping sites. 

Bin your rubbish or take it with you

We know that full bins are a big issue over summer. To accommodate the increased demand, we’re providing extra public rubbish bins, bin collections and beach cleans all summer long, making it easier for everyone to keep our beaches, parks and reserves clean.

In total we are rolling out an extra 48,000 litres of additional bin capacity across our foreshore, parks and retail precincts. We’re also increasing our recycling bin collections from two to three times per week.

Why is it so important?

Even the smallest bit of litter can cause big trouble, polluting out beaches and killing our marine wildlife. Binning rubbish correctly can help stem this problem before it becomes a big issue.

What if the bins are full?

We recommend locating the next closest bin or taking your rubbish with you.

Beating the heat

We’re expecting some extreme weather this summer season, including extreme heat. To help, we’ve compiled our top 10 extreme heat survival tips for you:

1. Stay hydrated – make sure to drink plenty of water, even if you’re not thirsty.
2. Plan ahead – try to only go outside during the coolest part of the day and keep activities to cool spaces.
3. Stay home and make the most of it – the best advice is to stay put and take advantage of the resources you have at home, for example, fans and air-conditioning.
4. Keep cool – there are many ways to keep cool, including using wet towels, putting your feet in cool water or taking cool (not cold) showers. 
5. Limit movement – try reducing the amount that you move and the level of energy you exert. 
6. Prepare for a power outage – ensure you have some battery powered essentials (for example, radios, torches and fans) and stock up on water, ice and non-refrigerated foods. 
7. Be sun smart – if you need to go outside, make sure to wear protective clothing, accessories and sunscreen.  
8. Check in with others regularly – including those who might be at higher risk of heat illness.
9. No one gets left behind - never leave kids, adults or pets in parked vehicles because the temperature inside can double in minutes. 
10. Know when heat is about to hit – keep track of the latest weather forecasts to know when it’s best to go out or stay in. Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) can help with this. 

Plan your trips in advance

With 11 kilometres of foreshore and many beautiful parks and gardens, we’re spoilt for choice. Why not beat the summer crowds by discovering somewhere new this year?

• Find a beach near you
• Find a park near you

Play it safe by the water

Water in the bay can be unpredictable. Make sure that you stay safe this summer by following advice from authorities. The ongoing advice is:

• Wherever possible, swim at a beach patrolled by lifesavers and between the red and yellow flags. Use Beachsafe to find your nearest patrolled beach and check patrolling dates and times.
• Supervise children closely around water and never swim alone.
• Know your swimming limits.
• Always assess the risks before entering the water and be aware of hidden underwater hazards, like strong currents or debris.
• Check water quality before swimming, the Environmental Protection Authority Victoria (EPA Victoria) and their Beach Report can help with this.
• Don't jump off piers or jetties, the water can be shallower than it looks and jumping may cause severe injury.
• Never swim under the influence.
• Check VicEmergency in advance for beach closures and emergency information.

Check summer safety for more details.

Know your swimming and boating zones

We want summer at our beaches to be safe and fun for everyone, including swimmers and boat enthusiasts.

For more information about the swimming and boating zones from Sandridge to Elwood and contact details for agencies who manage the bay areas, check our Boating and Swimming Zones.

Emergency contacts

If you see any dangerous or life-threatening behaviour, please call triple zero (000) immediately to report the incident to the police. For non-urgent reports you can call 131 444. 

If the incident occurs on the beach during patrol times, you may also wish to flag down any nearby lifesavers or Local Law Officers for assistance.