Play Your Part
We are expecting a lovely summer season and we encourage everyone to get outdoors and enjoy our City’s beautiful beaches, parks and foreshore reserves to their fullest.
We all need to play our part so that everyone gets the most out of summer in Port Phillip.
Here we’ve included the important information you need to ensure everyone has the opportunity to enjoy summer in our City.
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 $250 fine and having your glass items confiscated.
Visit the Glass bans page for a foreshore glass map and for more information.
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 St Kilda's beaches and foreshore reserves from Langridge to Thackeray Street.
There are also holiday-specific city-wide 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).
The bans are enforced by Victoria Police and Local Law Officers, who will be out in force this summer. Make sure you’re prepared in order to avoid receiving a $200 fine.
Some alcohol bans apply all year round, but additional bans apply in the summer months. Visit our Alcohol bans page for more information.
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.
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. As well as issuing fines, we will be continuing our previous summers’ successful strategy of early morning patrols to move on campers.
Dog restrictions
From 1 November to 31 March, dog off-leash restrictions change. Signs are in place to help you differentiate on-leash 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 dog off-leash areas across the city.
Random patrols are frequently conducted throughout our beaches and reserves and on-the-spot fines of $185 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
Beating the heat
We’re expecting some extreme weather the summer season, including extreme heat. To help, we’ve got five extreme heat survival tips for you:
- Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated – It’s best to take small sips more frequently.
- Be sun smart – when it’s extremely hot its best to avoid direct sun altogether, opt instead for somewhere shady or cool.
- Nobody gets left behind – temperatures can double in minutes. Never leave kids, adults or pets in vehicles.
- 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.
- Limit movement – try reducing the amount that you move and the level of energy you exert.
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?
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 and knowing your personal limits.
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 always swim with a friend.
- Beware of hidden underwater hazards, like strong currents or debris.
- Know your swimming limits.
- 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 for assistance.