Peter Holden and Ann DeMarco on Alice Springs booze ban

Alice Springs business owners have expressed fear and apprehension at the impact looming alcohol restrictions may have. Read how they expect to be impacted.

Business owners in Alice Springs are calling on residents to reclaim the town’s streets as liquor retailers prepare for “mayhem” when new restrictions begin in earnest next week.

Manager of Lhere Artepe Enterprises, which runs three of the Centralian capital’s IGA supermarkets, Peter Holden said “there could be problems” in the Australia Day rush on Thursday.

But Mr Holden said “the real test” would come next Wednesday after two-day bans on takeaway alcohol sales were lifted for the first time, with the stores putting in place “contingency plans” to keep staff and customers safe.

Northside IGA is one of the three shops run by Lhere Artepe Enterprises. Picture: Emma Murray

“People know now that there are very limited hours in which they can buy alcohol so it’s quite possible they will try and cram all of their weekly alcohol purchases into those few hours,” he said.

“So we’re just hoping that that doesn’t result in some kind of mayhem outside the liquor outlets in town during those hours, but we’re preparing in case that happens.”

It comes after Chief Minister Natasha Fyles announced a ban on takeaway grog on Mondays and Tuesdays, with only a four-hour sales window between 3pm and 7pm every other day.

Mr Holden said his store managers would “do whatever it takes to keep the place safe”, including closing their doors if necessary, but that what happened out on the street was the responsibility of police.

“Within our own stores we’ve got our own security and I’ve said to our ops manager ‘Make sure that we’ve got reinforcements if necessary’, because our obvious priority at that point is the safety and the security of our staff and our customers,” he said.

“If things get really out of hand and we have to close the stores temporarily to regain a bit of control, well then we’ll do that.

“But we do rely on the police and other public officers to maintain order outside the shops.”

Meanwhile business owners in the Todd Mall say they hold out little hope the new rules will stop children causing “havoc” in their shops day and night.

Novita Gifts owner Ann DeMarco who has been in business there for more than four decades, said they were “doing it because they can get away with it”.

“These children that are coming in, they’re not drunk,” she said.

“If they have no home, there’s got to be somewhere these children are put in care, fed, out of town, so they can’t get into town, not a jail, but a camp, so that they can learn things and come into town when they can behave themselves.

“If we don’t do something with these children now it’s going to be several generations — you do something wrong, you’ve got to pay for it.”

Novita Gifts owner Ann DeMarco says her Todd Mall business has increasingly become the target of youth offenders. Picture: Jason Walls

Ms DeMarco said she had never seen it so bad, with hers one of the last businesses standing as the crime wave drove shoppers off the streets.

But the 73-year-old said after 43 years she was staying put.

“(Even) if I wanted to retire now I wouldn’t because I’m going to retire on my terms, nobody else’s, I’ll retire when I’m ready, I’m not going to be forced, it’s a lovely town and it’s lovely people,” she said.

“There’s nobody open in the afternoon down the mall because there’s nobody around and it’s scary.

“We’ve got to own the streets, we’ve got to go out, because the kids have got it to themselves, they’re just running amok.

“I really would like the Alice Springs people to get out and own their town, but the law has to stand behind us.

“We’re losing nurses, we’re losing teachers, we’re losing good people, there’s going to be nothing left.”

NT Police has been contacted for comment.

Originally published as Peter Holden and Ann DeMarco on Alice Springs booze ban