Bill to reintroduce alcohol bans in town camps passes NT parliament

Alcohol bans will be reinstated across the NT in an effort to reduce violence and crime in the outback.

Opt-out grog bans will be reintroduced in Aboriginal communities after legislation to reinstate the sweeping alcohol restrictions passed the Northern Territory parliament.

The Liquor Amendment Bill passed on Tuesday, a few hours after it was introduced by Chief Minister Natasha Fyles on what was the NT parliament’s first sitting day of the year.

Ms Fyles had been reluctant to reintroduce the alcohol bans which abruptly lapsed with the sunsetting of the Howard-era intervention law in July last year, calling them a “race-based” policy.

But she relented after pressure from federal Labor colleagues over escalating violence in Central Australia which increased following the lapse of the Stronger Futures legislation.

The new laws in the NT mean takeaway alcohol is again banned in town camps or remote communities that were made dry as part of the 2007 Intervention.

Any communities wanting to opt out of the bans will need to develop their own community alcohol plans and have 60 per cent or more of local residents vote in support of them.

The new restrictions are expected to be in place by the end of the week.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addresses the media in Alice Springs after meeting with local leaders, including NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sabine Haider

The laws passed with bipartisan support after a row in parliament over whether Labor or the opposition Country Liberal Party should take responsibility for the deteriorating situation in Central Australia.

Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro told parliament NT Labor government had been too slow to act.

She said the government had “systematically failed” in its responsibilities to protect Territorians by not having a plan in place to deal with the expiry of the Stronger Futures laws.

Speaking in parliament, Ms Fyles accused the CLP and the federal Coalition, including its leader Peter Dutton, of having “played politics” with the issue of alcohol policy.

“It is a difficult issue, as it is a legal product,” she said.

“How many of us in this room have had a drink in the last few weeks? Probably most, but it causes so much harm in our community.”

The “urgent” reinstatement of temporary grog bans was one the recommendations Central Australian regional controller Dorelle Anderson made in her snap review of how to reduce alcohol-related harms in the region.

Federal Indigenous politicians Marion Scrymgour, Senator Pat Dodson and Malarndirri McCarthy also attended the Alice Springs meeting. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sabine Haider

Anthony Albanese appointed Ms Anderson to the new position after flying to Alice Springs last month in the wake of media coverage of and community pressure over an increase in violence and crime in the outback town.

After the Alice Springs meeting, Mr Albanese and Ms Fyles announced a three-month ban on the sale of takeaway alcohol in the region on Monday and Tuesdays, and reduced trading hours on other days.

A limit of one purchase per person per day was also introduced.

Mr Albanese promised an additional $48.8m in Commonwealth spending over two years, including $14.2m for “high visibility policing” including targeting liquor licence compliance.

Federal Country Liberal Party senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has said the NT laws don’t go far enough.

She has introduced a private member’s Bill to federal parliament that would allow it to have greater oversight of alcohol restrictions in the NT, akin to the powers granted to the commonwealth by the now expired Howard-era intervention laws.

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