Proposed ballot could determine future of alcohol consumption in remote NT

The NT Chief Minister has proposed a ballot to determine whether remote communities opt in or out of ‘being dry’. Find out why.

The NT government has stood by its decision to allow remote communities to opt in or out of “being dry”.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said she believed “race-based” polices such as intervention-era alcohol prohibition disempowered Indigenous Territorians.

She said the “point” of alcohol restrictions was to allow space for alcohol management plans to be tailored to each community.

Ms Fyles said the NT government introduced legislation that allowed communities to opt in to “continuing being dry while an alcohol management plan was developed for up to two years”.

“That legislation now ceases next week,” she said.

“Going on six months of data, we clearly need to have more measures in place to keep the community safe.”

Ms Fyles on Friday told ABC Radio Darwin the “point of contention” was how it would be decided if a community opted out.

“That’s where I’ve raised the point, maybe we do need to go to a ballot – an independent ballot once and for all to settle this,” she said.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has proposed a ballot to determine whether remote communities opt in or out of ‘being dry’. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

Ms Fyles on Wednesday suggested the idea of a formal vote to determine whether or not to enforce alcohol bans across the Territory.

She said the NT’s current “opt in system” for alcohol restrictions would end on January 31.

“We have seen a number of communities opt in, they’ve made that local decision that they want to not have alcohol,” she said.

“Other community leadership that we have consulted with have said, ‘we don’t want to opt in, it's a legal product, we want our people to be able to drink in our communities’.”

Ms Fyles said there had been criticism around whether the NT government consulted the “right person” when determining if a community would opt in or out of alcohol restrictions.

“That is why there has been an idea for communities, if they wish, to take a ballot so that everyone over 18 can have their voice heard on this issue,” she said.

Ms Fyles said the NT Electoral Commission ran a range of ballots across the Territory and her proposal was “just a thought” and would be worked on over the coming days.

Ms Fyles said around 40 communities had submitted alcohol management plans to the federal Indigenous Affairs Minister.

“They sat on desks in Canberra, Ministers would refer to them in meetings and say they’re not signing off on them, even though that was the consultation and the local decision of that community and how alcohol would be there.”

Ms Fyles said communities’ approach to alcohol management was not homogenous across the Northern Territory.

“You have got examples, most recently in Barunga, where the community has come together, developed an alcohol management plan, and will establish a club,” she said.

“Other communities... do not want to have any form of alcohol.

“You have other locations in the Territory where a takeaway alcohol permit is available.”