First-time drink drivers could be put on BDR amid changes to NT liquor laws

A government review of the Territory’s liquor laws has called for low-range drink drivers to be banned from buying alcohol. Tell us what you think.

First-time low-range drink drivers could be put on the banned drinkers register as part of a suite of changes to liquor laws.

First-time low-range drink drivers could end up on the banned drinkers register as part of a suite of recommended changes to NT liquor laws.

Offences including theft, robbery and going armed in public could be other triggers to put someone on the BDR, as the government moves to strengthen alcohol laws.

A review of the Liquor Act 2019 was tabled in parliament on Tuesday, which included a string of recommendations to expand the BDR and grant police, security and council rangers to deal with public drunkenness.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said the government would consider the recommendations before introducing new laws by the end of this year.

Police Minister Kate Worden said the review’s recommendation made some “sensible” suggestions. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

While Police Minister Kate Worden would not be drawn on committing to all of the recommendations, she said the report “does seem to make some sensible changes”.

“We’ll take our time to talk with our stakeholders and work that through,” she said on Wednesday.

“Whatever we do, (and) we will take action, it will be very targeted because we do know that we still have problem drinkers.

“Let’s make no mistake, if you’re a person that’s drinking to excess on a regular basis, you are drink driving, it is illegal and you do make the job of police hard.”

Deputy Opposition Leader Gerard Maley said the summary report lacked detail as he criticised it for being released a year late.

“That’s what really upsets me is the government had this for almost a year and there’s no legislation before parliament to fix anything,” he said.

“This report is already a year late and if you don’t pass this until the (February) sittings, it’s almost six months down the line.

“The devil is in the detail we simply do not know the detail.”

There were 3127 people on the BDR at the end of August this year.

Current laws dictate that people with two low-range drink driving offences or a single mid-range or high-range drink driving offence be put on the banned drinkers register.

Anyone charged with an alcohol-related offence or named as the defendant in an alcohol-related police domestic violence order are also put on the BDR.

The length of bans range from three months to 12 months, or longer if the banned drinker order is breached.

Originally published as First-time drink drivers could be put on BDR amid changes to NT liquor laws