A convenience store in Dee Why has been ordered to close for three months following allegations of unlawful tobacco retailing.
Closure Order Issued In Dee Why
Uncle Jack’s Convenience Store at 701 Pittwater Road has been issued a short-term closure order running from 12 February 2026 to 12 May 2026. Closure notices have been placed at the shopfront near the northbound B-Line bus stop.
The order cites the alleged sale of illicit tobacco and the retail sale of tobacco products or non-tobacco smoking products by a person who does not hold a retail licence in effect. The notice warns that trading during the closure period may attract penalties of up to $137,500.
Investigation And Enforcement
NSW Health inspectors investigated the premises with assistance from NSW Police after a report was submitted through the NSW Health website. Members of the public can continue to lodge complaints about suspected unlawful tobacco or vaping sales online.
Under NSW rules, retailers are not permitted to sell illicit tobacco, sell tobacco to people under 18, or display unlawful advertising material. Vaping products can only be sold by pharmacies.
The closure order also states that anyone entering the premises once the order has been made may face fines of up to $82,500 for a first offence or $132,500 for a subsequent offence. Landlords are legally entitled to terminate a lease by giving 28 days’ notice following a closure order.
Northern Beaches Context
The Dee Why store closure follows short-term closures of convenience stores at Seaforth, Newport and Collaroy in November over alleged illicit tobacco sales. Those premises were allowed to resume trading from 13 February 2026.
Across NSW, 74 stores have been closed since tougher tobacco and vaping laws came into effect in November. During 2025, approximately 1,700 inspections were conducted across NSW, leading to the seizure of more than 16.2 million cigarettes, over 2.6 tonnes of other illicit tobacco products and about 215,000 illegal vaping goods, with an estimated street value of $24.8 million.
In January 2026, 131 inspections resulted in further seizures valued at around $830,000. The Dee Why store closure remains in effect until 12 May 2026.
Published 22-Feb-2026
