BAYSWATER city council has voted to ban liquor outlets bigger than 300sqm from its suburbs.

Councillors voted to amend the city’s town planning scheme to restrict large grog shops to business, showroom warehouse, light industry and general industry zones.

The amendment application must now go to the WA planning commission and be signed by the WA planning minister before taking effect. There is no guarantee either will happen.

Cr Terry Kenyon says most ratepayers would support the ban, but Cr John Rifici—a former Maylands cafe owner who does not live in the municipality—voted against it.

“We’re thinking about the minority, not the majority,” he said.

“Most people behave responsibly and I feel uncomfortable stopping commercial enterprise zoned for that area.

“We’re being narrow-minded and saying that the general public can’t be trusted.”

The ban will not apply to a 1000sqm Dan Murphy’s proposed as part of a $3.5 million facelift of the Peninsula Tavern on Railway Parade.

That application has already been before the council and will be the subject of a liquor commission hearing in the next three months.

Maylands is home to a number of agencies that tackle alcoholism and its impacts, including Shopfront, Autumn Centre and 55 Central.

In 2010 local Labor MP Lisa Baker spearheaded a campaign that stopped Coles building a 1250sqm outlet on Guildford Rd.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK