Fyles government passes remote community alcohol bans amid Alice Springs crime crisis
Hundreds of NT communities and town camps will revert to dry zones after new laws passed in parliament on Tuesday night.
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Town camps and communities across the Territory will revert to dry zones after the Fyles government passed legislation to reinstate alcohol bans.
The Liquor Amendment Bill passed on Tuesday night after the day’s standing orders were suspended to bring it “on urgency” after 3pm.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said the restrictions were a “new approach” with “local decision making at its core”.
“These restrictions are time-limited, providing us the space to invest in new, smarter, long-term reforms required to break the cycle of alcohol, crime and disadvantage,” Ms Fyles said.
“People in the Territory want safer communities now.”
Ms Fyles said Territory Labor was also working with the federal government to “break the cycle of crime”.
“Together, these measures will go a long way in delivering better services, better opportunities and better outcomes for everyone – especially First Nations Territorians,” she said.
The new legislation follows weeks of mounting pressure on Ms Fyles to reinstate the Intervention-era bans that lapsed after 15 years in July last year.
She relented after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the embattled Alice Springs last month and ordered a snap report by new regional controller Dorelle Anderson.
Ms Fyles said the new bans were “temporary”, with the legislation allowing for a “clear process of opting out”.
“We know that our remote communities are doing it tough and our Central Australian communities are doing it tough particularly,” she said.
“As a Territory Labor government we’ve done more than any other government when it comes to addressing this harm.”
Ms Fyles pointed to measures including the Banned Drinker Register, minimum floor price and recent snap restrictions in Alice Springs.
“However even with these measures in place we have seen a spike in alcohol-related harm,” Ms Fyles said.
“That shows we need to take another step forward.
“I want to be clear – this Bill is not the Intervention.
“Unlike the Intervention, this Bill will not bulldoze the NT’s alcohol-harm reduction progress.
“It will be a part of it.”
Ms Fyles said at least 88 of the Territory’s communities had already reverted back to previous Territory legislation with the lapse of Stronger Futures, and therefore would experience no changes.
At least 60 per cent of residents must then vote in favour to reintroduce alcohol back into their community, with an alcohol management plan also needing approval by the director-general of licensing.
CLP to support new alcohol bans despite ‘little detail’
The Opposition has pledged its support for Labor’s “rushed” reinstatement of grog bans in parliament, despite concerns the legislation lacks detail.
CLP Leader Lia Finocchiaro said her party was briefed on the legislation Tuesday morning, declining an earlier briefing on Monday afternoon due to some party members not being present.
“The CLP will support the legislation but we will be making a very rigorous questioning of the government when it comes time to consideration in detail,” she said.
“This government has shown that it has rushed this … it is very clearly full of holes.
“Natasha Fyles wants to pretend that it isn’t the return of Stronger Futures. It is stronger futures by another name.”
The Opposition called for the federal government to reintroduce Stronger Futures measures at the time of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Alice Springs last month.
“Unfortunately, there is very little detail in the legislation and the government will be leaving all of it up to the regulations,” Ms Finocchiaro said.
“Ultimately, it’s a step in the right direction, but it comes eight months too late.
“And of course it doesn’t deal with the lawlessness plague in Central Australia and the rest of the Northern Territory, which is something that our legislation will fill.”
‘Urgent’ move to reinstate grog bans hits speed bump
Parliament kicked off to a slow start despite Labor flagging the “urgent” legislation to reinstate alcohol bans in Aboriginal communities and town camps.
Welcome ceremonies marked the opening of the first sittings of 2023, finishing at 10.30am.
The Legislative Assembly then broke for morning tea with parliament to resume at 2pm for question time.
It is expected the Fyles government will then introduce its legislation on new alcohol bans after 3pm.
It comes after Chief Minister Natasha Fyles on Monday saying Labor had been working “around the clock” on the amendments, which follow weeks of intense pressure by the federal government, stakeholders, media and the Opposition.
She said parliament would get “straight into business” after the opening formalities.
“We will be bringing on urgency amendments to the Liquor Act, so that we can put in place those community alcohol plans across the Northern Territory,” she said.
It is expected to pass on Tuesday afternoon with bipartisan support, but not before an explosive debate across the chamber.
Opposition whip Josh Burgoyne said on Monday the CLP had not seen the legislation, however a government spokeswoman said the party had not taken up an offer to be briefed on the matter.
“They have been strongarmed by the federal government to ensure that basically they backtrack,” Mr Burgoyne said.
“The Labor government said time and time again that there did not need to be any changes. “They stood by that, they called it racist policy.
“Well, they’re now bringing back that racist policy. That is the government’s words.”
Ms Fyles had previously said the new alcohol bans were expected to be in place by the end of the week.
It is understood that under the new laws, at least 60 per cent of residents must vote in favour if a community chooses to bring back alcohol, while management plans must also be approved by the director-general of licensing.
“This isn’t Stronger Futures, this is Territory-based legislation,” Ms Fyles said.
“It does provide a clear pathway allowing local leadership to come together around this issue and a clearly defined process.”
Mr Burgoyne also said the CLP would introduce its own legislation to grant police more powers and outlaw public drinking “where there’s known to be anti-social behaviour”.
The opposition and independents will have an opportunity to table their own legislation on Wednesday.
Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley has flagged she will move to ban alcohol in parliamentary workplaces.
The CLP is also set to introduce a motion of no-confidence in the Fyles government over a “crisis of lawlessness”.
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Originally published as Fyles government passes remote community alcohol bans amid Alice Springs crime crisis
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