Mr KURRUPUWU - 2014-11-27
Assault rates have plunged under the Country Liberals suite of alcohol measures, including alcohol mandatory treatment, Alcohol Protection Orders and temporary beat locations. Can you update the Assembly on the trend in alcohol consumption and supply in the Territory since the Country Liberals came to government?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for his question. The greatest challenge facing the Northern Territory is still the rivers of grog. Eleven years of Labor saw alcohol consumption in the Northern Territory peak in 2005. Eleven years was squandered by Labor, which did not have a clue as to how to stem the rivers of grog.
In two years of the CLP we have reached the lowest rates of alcohol consumption per capita in the Northern Territory since 2001. If you do not call that success I do not know what is. Alcohol is the scourge of our communities in the Northern Territory. It is one of the biggest reasons for medical problems, health problems and social problems, not to mention the terrible crime surges we have had in the past. Getting on top of this problem has been a priority of this government, and we have done it.
In 2013, just six months into government, we were already getting on top of it. We saw Territory-wide alcohol consumption per capita drop by 2%. It was down 1% in Darwin, 6% in Alice Springs, Katherine and Tennant Creek, and 14% in Nhulunbuy. If that does not put a smile on the member for Nhulunbuy’s face today then I do not know what will, because that is fantastic. It is a great result and is about putting in place policies that work. Yesterday in parliament the sad and sorry opposition was still chanting the merits of the failed Banned Drinker Register. It failed unequivocally and they will never accept it. Instead of the Banned Drinker Register we have put in a range of strategies which have worked. The empirical evidence is there for all to see.
Alcohol Protection Orders, alcohol mandatory treatment and the temporary beat locations have made an astounding difference to communities, such as Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. We are on top of it. We did not sit on our hands and say the Banned Drinker Register is working despite every piece of evidence to the contrary. Those two mechanisms and a range of other legislative changes to get on top of crime and the grog problem have been extremely effective.
We are now waiting for the statistics for 2014. We feel very confident on this side of the Chamber that there will be a further reduction in alcohol consumption per capita in 2014.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arafura for his question. The greatest challenge facing the Northern Territory is still the rivers of grog. Eleven years of Labor saw alcohol consumption in the Northern Territory peak in 2005. Eleven years was squandered by Labor, which did not have a clue as to how to stem the rivers of grog.
In two years of the CLP we have reached the lowest rates of alcohol consumption per capita in the Northern Territory since 2001. If you do not call that success I do not know what is. Alcohol is the scourge of our communities in the Northern Territory. It is one of the biggest reasons for medical problems, health problems and social problems, not to mention the terrible crime surges we have had in the past. Getting on top of this problem has been a priority of this government, and we have done it.
In 2013, just six months into government, we were already getting on top of it. We saw Territory-wide alcohol consumption per capita drop by 2%. It was down 1% in Darwin, 6% in Alice Springs, Katherine and Tennant Creek, and 14% in Nhulunbuy. If that does not put a smile on the member for Nhulunbuy’s face today then I do not know what will, because that is fantastic. It is a great result and is about putting in place policies that work. Yesterday in parliament the sad and sorry opposition was still chanting the merits of the failed Banned Drinker Register. It failed unequivocally and they will never accept it. Instead of the Banned Drinker Register we have put in a range of strategies which have worked. The empirical evidence is there for all to see.
Alcohol Protection Orders, alcohol mandatory treatment and the temporary beat locations have made an astounding difference to communities, such as Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. We are on top of it. We did not sit on our hands and say the Banned Drinker Register is working despite every piece of evidence to the contrary. Those two mechanisms and a range of other legislative changes to get on top of crime and the grog problem have been extremely effective.
We are now waiting for the statistics for 2014. We feel very confident on this side of the Chamber that there will be a further reduction in alcohol consumption per capita in 2014.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016