23 February 2026

Weipa enforces stricter ID checks for retail alcohol

| By Chisa Hasegawa
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Albatross Bay Resort drive-through bottle shop

All customers purchasing takeaway alcohol in Weipa will now be required to present photo ID every time. Photo: Albatross Bay Resort.

The server at the bottle-o in town may have seen your face a hundred times, but they will now be required to check your photo ID every single time.

The enforcement in Weipa comes following “ongoing concerns with alcohol-related issues in the community, and the implementation of stronger harm minimisation strategies”.

The decision to require ID, even if the staff know exactly who and how old a customer is, was made by the Queensland Police Service, Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation, Weipa Liquor Accord, and community stakeholders.

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Albatross Bay Resort publican Tim Broderick reminded all customers to bring their photo IDs when stocking up their fridges.

“We previously didn’t do it for customers we knew and we’d already seen their IDs, but now we have to check everyone’s,” he said.

“We just want to make sure everyone knows, so there are no surprises.

“It’ll be all venues in town selling takeaway alcohol, not just the Alby.”

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