Alice Springs Traditional Owner Benedict Stevens rejects ‘racist’ Intervention-era grog ban

As the Territory and federal governments consider reinstating snap alcohol bans in response to a rolling crime crisis in Alice Springs, read why one Elder has labelled the plan ‘racist’.

An Alice Springs Traditional Owner and senior Arrernte Elder has rejected calls for “racist” alcohol bans to be reinstated in the Red Centre’s town camps.

Hidden Valley town camp president Benedict Stevens has worked as an Aboriginal liaison officer at the Alice Springs Hospital for the better part of 25 years and still lives in his grandmother’s old house where grew up.

Mr Stevens said instead of imposing the Intervention-era bans on all town camp residents, it should be up to individual households to say whether they allowed grog into their homes.

“I don’t think it would be fair to go back to the old days, because some of the residents here, like, for example, me, I work seven days a week, eight hours a day, I need something for the weekend,” he said.

“Just ask the residents of the town camps whether they want it dry, it’s up to the residents to be able to make that decision, not one person to make the decision for the whole of the community.

“Ask the residents ‘Do you want alcohol in your house?’ We’ve got a yard each, just ask them.”

It comes after federal Labor MP Marion Scrymgour urged Chief Minister Natasha Fyles and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to reinstate the bans on Monday after they delayed a decision until next week.

Earlier, a report by newly appointed regional controller, Dorelle Anderson, is understood to have recommended bringing back the bans, with communities able to work on developing individual alcohol management plans to opt back out.

Alice Springs Traditional Owner, senior Arrernte Elder and Hidden Valley town camp president Benedict Stevens worries for his grandkids with the troubles facing the community. Picture: Kevin Farmer

But Mr Stevens said it was not fair for there to be one rule for Aboriginal people and another rule for non-Indigenous residents.

“The way my people will look at it, it’s one sided, it’s racist,” he said.

“Some of us, we work hard, and we deserve a weekend off with something for ourselves.”

Mr Stevens said he raised his own children to stay in school and out of trouble, but with four grandchildren under 10, he worried about the future of the town.

“I don’t want them to go out roaming around the town at night and be like them, I don’t want them to being growing up like that because I taught my kids in my way, I taught them well, put them in school,” he said

“I don’t want them to be able to mix up with the wrong group of kids, I want them to be able to look after this country, as this is their grandfather’s country, as the next generation of Traditional Owners.

“I feel a bit shame as a Traditional Owner, as this town has become, I feel really hurt as well because way before when I was growing up, you could talk to anyone, you could be able to go shopping, you could move around, share the river when the river’s running, people were all in one, white and black.”

Originally published as Alice Springs Traditional Owner Benedict Stevens rejects ‘racist’ Intervention-era grog ban