Alice Springs leaders overlooked on alcohol bans

Anthony Albanese’s new central Australia co-ordinator has not consulted key figures about future alcohol ­restrictions.

Cars line up outside an Alice Springs bottle shop last week. Picture: Mark Brake

Anthony Albanese’s new central Australia co-ordinator has not consulted key figures in Alice Springs about future alcohol ­restrictions, with the organisation representing police officers in the region “surprised” it has not been asked for its advice.

Dorrelle Anderson will hand down a report on Wednesday into the situation in Alice Springs and whether opt-out alcohol bans should be enforced. The Northern Territory and federal governments have refused to commit to making the report public.

The Australian can reveal many peak bodies and community leaders – including the Northern Territory Police Association, the local chamber of commerce, the Alice Springs mayor and the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress – have not been consulted by the Central Australia Regional Controller in the lead-up to the ­report being finalised.

While congress chief executive Donna Ah Chee said she had “not expected” to be consulted as the organisation’s desire for alcohol bans to be returned had already been made clear, NTPA president Paul McCue said he was surprised he had not been engaged by Ms Anderson.

“Given the NTPA is the peak body representing almost 99 per cent of sworn police officers in the Northern Territory, it was surprising the Central Australian Controller didn’t seek feedback from our association,” Mr McCue said.

“In particular, we’d like to see the banned drinker register expanded (from liquor stores) to pubs and clubs. In the absence of any meaningful long-term changes to the way alcohol and particularly chronic alcohol abuse is managed in the NT, we would absolutely support the return of restrictions as outlined under the now ceased Stronger Futures legislation.”

Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson, who was also not directly consulted by Ms Anderson, has for months lobbied for the return of Stronger Futures and the increase of police on the ground to prevent alcohol-related harm.

A Northern Territory government spokesman said Ms Anderson’s focus was on “co-ordinating governments’ response to the current challenges facing Alice Springs, progressing economic ­development and improving liveability for the region”.

The Prime Minister on Tuesday hinted future government ­intervention would be considered for Alice Springs, noting the town had been let down in the past.

“Governments need to do better,” Mr Albanese said. “We need to listen to communities about what their needs are.”

Traditional owner and Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Graeme Smith said he had spoken to Ms Anderson, and raised the need to address the problems “in the bush” rather than in Alice Springs. “The perception is that we’re trashing our own town – that’s not right. It’s people from outside,” he said. “We honestly can’t clean up Alice Springs unless we clean up the bush.”

He said youth initiatives needed to be a focus, with the Prime Minister’s visit to the town last week “doing nothing to address anything to do with the young”.

When it came to alcohol bans, Mr Smith said “blanket restrictions” didn’t work and only encouraged “grog smuggling” and related crimes.

Instead, he urged Ms Anderson to “shift the thinking” and make services go “door to door” and ­address each families’ issues individually, which would include asking if the household wanted to be “declared dry”.

Alice Springs’ local Aboriginal council – the Tangentyere Council – suggested to Ms Anderson an operation similar to one set up during Covid-19 to get people who had come into town for services back onto country with financial assistance for their travel.

The Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care said it had discussed the Alice Springs situation with Ms Anderson, and raised the issue of childcare as central to the crisis.

“It is no accident Alice Springs and other regional and remote communities dealing with issues of family dysfunction are in childcare deserts,” chief executive Catherine Liddle said.