BRIMBANK is brimming with booze, despite police and council efforts to crack down on the city’s public drinking crisis.

The municipality has more than 240 licensed restaurants, cafes and bottle shops, with almost 80 concentrated in the Sunshine area alone.

Figures published on the Department of Justice website reveal at least 243 permanent liquor licences have been granted across Brimbank, including permits for 59 bottle shops and at least 19 supermarkets including some ALDI and Safeway stores.

Other alcohol hotspots include St Albans, with 50 liquor licences, and the Keilor region, with almost 40 licensed venues.

The revelations come amid growing concern about the city’s public drinking culture.

Last month residents were up in arms about plans to open a new bottle shop across the road from a secondary school.

The Director of Liquor Licensing granted a Sunshine North resident permission to open an independent bottle shop on Glengala Road, just metres from Sunshine College.

Angry residents slammed the plan and called for greater restrictions on liquor licensing in the municipality.

Under section 38 of the Liquor Reform Act, there is no limit to how many licensed premises are allowed in one municipality, suburb or even street.

The lack of restrictions has shocked Brimbank residents, who say they are concerned it could contribute to the municipality’s alcohol problems.

“When I saw the figures I was absolutely gobsmacked,” said Sunshine West resident Larissa Stewart.

“To have that many licensed premises in one area just seems to me to be an overkill and no-one is doing anything to stop it.”

Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers’ Association president Darlene Reilly said social impact assessments should be conducted before licences are granted.

“It’s a flaw in the process,” Ms Reilly said.

“Demographically Brimbank is one of the most vulnerable municipalities and drinking is just as much of a problem as gambling.

“There needs to be some kind of plan to tackle this.”

Sunshine residents have complained about drunks turning the streets into an open air pub, ignoring the council’s local laws which forbid public drinking.

Brimbank Council’s General Manager of City Development Stephen Sully told Star last month that the council was working to combat the city’s public drinking problem.

Mr Sully said the council enforced the Local Law to control public drinking and had introduced new initiatives to encourage residents to socialise without alcohol.