Ms ANDERSON - 2008-02-13
Can you inform the House of what practical steps the Territory government has taken through Closing the Gap to combat the harm that results from alcohol abuse in our communities?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question. There was some discussion this morning about alcohol in the Northern Territory, the harm it causes and the steps that this government is taking to address that issue. The reports do not often give enough time to expand on some of those issues. One of the issues the Leader of the Opposition raised was in relation to Groote Eylandt and the success of what has happened there. That is a spectacular success in the reduction of antisocial behaviour and crime within Groote Eylandt with people in full-time employment, and a decrease in absenteeism - a spectacular decrease in crime. The Leader of the Opposition mentioned that this process had taken a number of years to negotiate and was very successful. I do not disagree with that. That process of negotiation was very important for Groote Eylandt and it has been a success.
Groote Eylandt is a unique situation. It is an island with a mining town and Aboriginal communities, and not a lot of other industry. At one level, it is a unique example. As a government in the Territory, we are supporting communities with a community-by-community approach to the issue of developing alcohol management plans, which is a very central part of Closing the Gap and of our policies. I completely rebut what the Leader of the Opposition said this morning, which is that it is all taking too much time and there has not been enough consultation.
If you look at Alice Springs, for example, the town council became involved and there was very close consultation and discussion with government. The previous Chief Minister, the member for Fannie Bay, set up an alcohol reference group approximately two years or 18 months ago at least in Alice Springs. Membership of that particular alcohol reference group is drawn from a wide range of community interests – the tourism industry, police, and a whole range of people and representatives of Aboriginal organisations. There is very spirited discussion, I might say, within that particular group.
However, progress has been made, not only through that group, but also through the Liquor Commission, implementation of alcohol management plans, along with, of course, the dry area aspects that are based on legislation passed within this parliament.
Similarly, in Katherine, a more recent development, with the town council becoming integrally involved. The town council said from time to time, ‘Things are not moving fast enough’, in contrast to what the member for Blain has said. Apart from Katherine and Alice Springs, right across the Territory, in East Arnhem, and at Nhulunbuy, there has been an alcohol management plan and an alcohol permit system developed, after consultation that has occurred over a period of a number of years. For anyone to assert that there has been inadequate consultation through the development of these alcohol management plans is completely wrong.
The other issue, of course, is the one that the member for Braitling raised this morning: ‘You are just putting in a whole lot of restrictions, ID systems, restrictions on product. What are you doing to actually change the culture of drinking?’ We had a debate in this parliament last year about that very issue. I have been working in the interim on developing a plan, if you like, to change the culture of drinking within the Territory. There is a lot of work going on at present. In that debate, I also acknowledged the fact that the previous CLP government, under Marshall Perron with the Living with Alcohol program, actually had a very effective program until it had its funding cut.
I am saying here today that this is a government that is very focused on the issues of alcohol. It is not just about supply reduction, it is about demand reduction, and we are moving along that path. However, I also emphasise what I said this morning. Whilst I have acknowledged the success of the Living with Alcohol program, as a government, we have taken steps in relation to alcohol and supply reduction that were never taken by the previous government. There might have been a little here, a little there. However, a comprehensive strategy that involves putting on more liquor inspectors, and implementation of the Closing the Gap plan ...
Mr Mills: It is worse now than it was then. It is worse now.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, we are very focused on this issue. We realise its importance. I expect to make progress on this issue. I flag also that, with the implementation of the electronic ID system, I am not saying it is going to be a silver bullet, however, I am confident it will have a significant effect on consumption and, by reducing consumption, you will reduce harm.
Madam Speaker, we are a government that is very active in this area because we realise its importance to the Northern Territory and, particularly, for the lives of indigenous people.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Macdonnell for her question. There was some discussion this morning about alcohol in the Northern Territory, the harm it causes and the steps that this government is taking to address that issue. The reports do not often give enough time to expand on some of those issues. One of the issues the Leader of the Opposition raised was in relation to Groote Eylandt and the success of what has happened there. That is a spectacular success in the reduction of antisocial behaviour and crime within Groote Eylandt with people in full-time employment, and a decrease in absenteeism - a spectacular decrease in crime. The Leader of the Opposition mentioned that this process had taken a number of years to negotiate and was very successful. I do not disagree with that. That process of negotiation was very important for Groote Eylandt and it has been a success.
Groote Eylandt is a unique situation. It is an island with a mining town and Aboriginal communities, and not a lot of other industry. At one level, it is a unique example. As a government in the Territory, we are supporting communities with a community-by-community approach to the issue of developing alcohol management plans, which is a very central part of Closing the Gap and of our policies. I completely rebut what the Leader of the Opposition said this morning, which is that it is all taking too much time and there has not been enough consultation.
If you look at Alice Springs, for example, the town council became involved and there was very close consultation and discussion with government. The previous Chief Minister, the member for Fannie Bay, set up an alcohol reference group approximately two years or 18 months ago at least in Alice Springs. Membership of that particular alcohol reference group is drawn from a wide range of community interests – the tourism industry, police, and a whole range of people and representatives of Aboriginal organisations. There is very spirited discussion, I might say, within that particular group.
However, progress has been made, not only through that group, but also through the Liquor Commission, implementation of alcohol management plans, along with, of course, the dry area aspects that are based on legislation passed within this parliament.
Similarly, in Katherine, a more recent development, with the town council becoming integrally involved. The town council said from time to time, ‘Things are not moving fast enough’, in contrast to what the member for Blain has said. Apart from Katherine and Alice Springs, right across the Territory, in East Arnhem, and at Nhulunbuy, there has been an alcohol management plan and an alcohol permit system developed, after consultation that has occurred over a period of a number of years. For anyone to assert that there has been inadequate consultation through the development of these alcohol management plans is completely wrong.
The other issue, of course, is the one that the member for Braitling raised this morning: ‘You are just putting in a whole lot of restrictions, ID systems, restrictions on product. What are you doing to actually change the culture of drinking?’ We had a debate in this parliament last year about that very issue. I have been working in the interim on developing a plan, if you like, to change the culture of drinking within the Territory. There is a lot of work going on at present. In that debate, I also acknowledged the fact that the previous CLP government, under Marshall Perron with the Living with Alcohol program, actually had a very effective program until it had its funding cut.
I am saying here today that this is a government that is very focused on the issues of alcohol. It is not just about supply reduction, it is about demand reduction, and we are moving along that path. However, I also emphasise what I said this morning. Whilst I have acknowledged the success of the Living with Alcohol program, as a government, we have taken steps in relation to alcohol and supply reduction that were never taken by the previous government. There might have been a little here, a little there. However, a comprehensive strategy that involves putting on more liquor inspectors, and implementation of the Closing the Gap plan ...
Mr Mills: It is worse now than it was then. It is worse now.
Dr BURNS: Madam Speaker, we are very focused on this issue. We realise its importance. I expect to make progress on this issue. I flag also that, with the implementation of the electronic ID system, I am not saying it is going to be a silver bullet, however, I am confident it will have a significant effect on consumption and, by reducing consumption, you will reduce harm.
Madam Speaker, we are a government that is very active in this area because we realise its importance to the Northern Territory and, particularly, for the lives of indigenous people.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016