NT Banned Drinker Register data shows uptick in sales

A Banned Drinker Register data dump has revealed the impact grog restrictions have had on takeaway alcohol sales in Alice Springs.

Monthly Banned Drinker Register figures show grog sales in Alice Springs rebounded just two months after tough new takeaway alcohol sale restrictions were introduced in January.

Despite the takeaway sales regime that include one sale per day per person, alcohol free days on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday for takeaway grog and limiting takeaway alcohol sales between 3pm and 7pm except Saturdays, grog sales numbers in the town have begun to edge up.

BDR alcohol sales in Alice Springs were at four-year highs in December, but dropped sharply in January when takeaway sales restrictions were introduced locally by liquor retailers and then by the NT government after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the town.

Reduced bottle shop hours in Alice Springs. Picture: Sam Boneham

The decline continued into February but in March rebounded in Alice Springs and also surged in all Territory centres.

There were 63,842 scanned alcohol sales in Alice Springs in December, falling to 48,890 in January and to a record low of just 38,083 sales in February when local liquor retailers introduced unilateral restrictions, before the federal government told the Territory to restrict takeaway grog sales.

But in March alcohol sales in Alice rebounded to 43,653, similar to figures recorded in 2022 when there were no grog bans.

In February the Territory recorded its lowest ever BDR presentations since the tool was reintroduced in 2017 with 375,731 individual sales and declines in alcohol sales across all regions except Tennant Creek.

But sales surged again across the Territory in March, with increases recorded in all regions.

The grog restrictions have so far resulted in a year-on-year decline in BDR sales in Alice Springs with a 12 per cent drop in January and February compared to 2022 figures.

The data shows the unpredictable nature of alcohol sales across the Northern Territory, with seasonal factors, such as the Top End Dry or Alice Springs’ winter, impacting alcohol purchases.

As well as crime, there was serious disruption across the Northern Territory when residents of Kalkarindji, Daguragu, Pigeon Hole and Palumpa were evacuated to Howard Springs because of flooding.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addresses the media in Alice Springs after meeting with local leaders. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sabine Haider

The NT government announced in April the restrictions would be extended by three months.

The data drop comes days after Central Australian Aboriginal Congress chief medical officer John Boffa said alcohol restrictions had largely addressed crime and anti-social behaviour issues in Alice Springs.

He said the “perception” of high crime was making it difficult to recruit medical personnel.

“The crisis is over, we’re back to where we were in 2021 and we had no staff not coming in because they said it was unsafe,” he said.

“But unfortunately in the national picture there’s still this perception that this town is unsafe as it was leading up to Christmas last year — that’s not true.

Acting Police Commissioner Michael Murphy has called for the temporary restrictions to be permanent.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said she believed there was insufficient data to consider making them permanent.

Originally published as NT Banned Drinker Register data shows uptick in sales