Calls for Alice Springs’ alcohol bans to roll out across Northern Territory
Business and tourism leaders are cautiously supporting snap alcohol bans in Alice Springs amid calls for further restrictions to roll out in the Top End.
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Alice Springs businesses and tourism leaders are tentatively backing the town’s snap alcohol bans while the aftermath of the restrictions remains to be seen.
Bottle shops and liquor retailers in the town were banned from selling takeaway alcohol across Monday and Tuesday as part of three-month restrictions announced by the Prime Minister and Chief Minister last week.
It comes as the mayors of Darwin and Katherine call for similar restrictions to roll out across the Top End.
Chamber of Commerce Alice Springs chief operating officer Nicole Walsh said her members largely welcomed the restrictions.
“As a community we’ve certainly been looking for some immediate reprieve from the current situation were facing,” she said.
“It’s only for a period of time and we certainly appreciate that liquor licensees are working with NTG on this.”
Residents will be able to make one transaction of takeaway alcohol again from Wednesday, during the hours of 3pm and 7pm.
Newly-appointed regional controller Dorelle Anderson is also due to hand down a report to the PM on Wednesday, expected to result in further federal measures.
Tourism Central Australia chief executive Danial Rochford said he supported the current bans but insisted the supply of alcohol was “just a small part of the equation.”
“We’re calling upon our government to get real here and focus on the wider picture,” he said.
“This is not just an alcohol issue – anyone who thinks that is misguided.
“We need to see resourcing towards services and infrastructure in remote communities.”
The plea for support comes amid calls for similar restrictions to be rolled out in the Top End.
Darwin Mayor Kon Vatskalis said he would support further measures to tackle alcoholism in the capital.
“We might see a migration of drinkers – for example, a lot of people causing problems in Darwin are not local people,” he said.
“They have come here because they haven’t been able to access alcohol in their communities.
“Restrictions are only one part of the measure that has to be taken though.
“We need a medical approach – cutting supply won’t fix the problem.”
Mr Vatskalis also called for a probe into the black alcohol market by monitoring big purchases, and more liquor inspectors outside shops.
“We have to get tough – pussy footing around is not helping the community,” he said.
Katherine Town Council Mayor Elisabeth Clark agreed the restrictions should not just be placed on one Territory town, admitting it was “extremely frustrating” the governments’ attention has focused largely on Alice Springs.
“It causes crime displacement – it moves the problem to another area,” she said.
“But we need to look at the root cause of why it’s happening, because youth crime is not from alcohol (issues).
“The remedies need to be Territory-wide and it needs to be the right model to diffuse crime.”
However, Business, Jobs and Training Minister Paul Kirby said the Territory government was not planning on rolling out further alcohol restrictions in the Top End.
“There are absolutely no plans to enact different alcohol restrictions in the Top End, but as we know with policy settings or government, they can be reviewed at all times,” he said.
“There will always be conversations going on about alcohol restrictions – it is the number one focus for us in the NT government at the moment.
“We will take advice from police and the industry experts around if there is a need to be proactive with any other measures.”
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Originally published as Calls for Alice Springs’ alcohol bans to roll out across Northern Territory
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