Declared Public Precincts

What is a Declared Public Precinct?

A Declared Public Precinct is a strictly defined area that has been proclaimed to give certain powers to police to maintain public safety and order in that area.

Ongoing Declared Public Precincts

Learn all about the current Declared Public Precinct in Port Augusta

Where is the Declared Public Precinct?

The area to be a Declared Public Precinct is contained within the boundaries of:

the western boundary of Augusta Highway / Victoria Parade extending in a straight line north to the low tide shoreline of Spencer Gulf
the low tide shoreline of Spencer Gulf at the northern extension from Augusta Highway / Victoria Parade, extending south along the eastern low tide shoreline of Spencer Gulf to the straight line extension of the northern boundary of Flinders Terrace
the eastern low tide shoreline of Spencer Gulf at the straight line extension of the northern boundary of Flinders Terrace, along the northern boundary of Flinders Terrace to the western boundary of Augusta Highway / Victoria Parade.

References to boundaries identified by streets, roads or terraces for the purpose of this declaration will be taken to mean and include the area up to applicable building or fence lines, or the imagined projection thereof, on the relevant boundary.

When is the Declared Public Precinct operational?

The Port Augusta Declared Public Precinct will operate for a period of 12 hours from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm on every day.

The declaration will commence on Friday, 18 October 2024. The declaration will cease to have effect on Sunday, 27 April 2025.

What does this mean?

To maintain public safety and order, SA Police are able to do the following in the Declared Public Precinct:

Conduct a metal detector search of a person and any property in their possession for the presence of weapons.
Carry out general drug detection in relation to any person within the precinct.
Order a person / group posing a risk to public safety and order to leave the declared public precinct.
Ban a person who commits an offence of a kind that may pose a risk to public safety and order, or behaves in an offensive or disorderly manner within the precinct (for up to 24 hours).
Remove children from the declared public precinct who are in danger of physical harm or abuse, behaving in an offensive or disorderly manner, or otherwise committing or about to commit an offence.

These powers give police the ability to issue expiation notices for offences within the geographic area or to issue barring orders covering the precinct. These are similar to, but in addition to, licensed premises barring orders.

If you are subject to any of the above, you are legally required to comply with the officer’s direction.

What are the maximum penalties involved?

A person who is barred, but enters or remains, in the Declared Public Precinct is guilty of an offence which carries a maximum penalty of $2500.

A person who is ordered to leave, but remains, re-enters, or attempts to re-enter, the Declared Public Precinct is guilty of an offence which carries a maximum penalty of $1250.

A person can also be issued with a $344 expiation notice (Expiation fee $250 + $94 Victim of Crime Levy) for behaving in an offensive or disorderly manner within the Declared Public Precinct.

A person who carries an offensive weapon or dangerous article within the Declared Public Precinct is guilty of an offence which carries a maximum penalty of $10,000 or imprisonment for two years.

Why was this introduced?

The changes to the Summary Offences Act 1953 were enacted to maintain public safety and order in a defined area for which there is a reasonable likelihood of conduct in the area posing a risk to public safety and order and that the area is reasonable having regard to the identified risk.

Declared public precincts will significantly enhance the ability of SA Police to appropriately manage conduct that poses a risk to public safety and order for members of the community using this area.