Cutting Crime and Antisocial Behaviour: NEW LIQUOR ACT PASSED IN PARLIAMENT

The Territory Labor Government has passed the Liquor Bill 2019 through the Legislative Assembly.

The Bill is a complete rewrite of the Liquor Act 1978, and achieves 70 recommendations from the Riley Review, including:

A risk-based licensing scheme, which rewards responsible licensees and punishes licensees who do the wrong thing

Establishing a dedicated Director of Liquor Licensing who will exclusively manage liquor compliance and enforcement

Setting response timeframes for Licensing NT and the Liquor Commission for applications and complaints, which will reduce red tape and provide certainty

Certainty for businesses providing complimentary drinks, such as hairdressers and jewellery stores

The Territory Governments alcohol reforms are having an impact on cutting violent crime in the NT through a reduction in the supply of alcohol through the Banned Drinker Register, a new Police alcohol unit and 75 new Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors.

Alcohol related harm and alcohol-fuelled crime and violence costs the Northern Territory Government over $1.38 Billion every single year, so the Territory Government is doing everything it can to reduce problem drinking.

Our tough alcohol measures have led to:

A 22% reduction in alcohol related assaults across the Territory, including a 13% reduction in Darwin and a 38% reduction in Alice Springs

A 24.5% decrease in alcohol-related emergency department presentations in Northern Territory hospitals between SeptemberDecember 2018, compared to 2017. That trend has continued in the first quarter this year with a 22% reduction

More than 17,000 litres of alcohol ear-marked for illegal secondary supply have been seized by police since the creation of the Alcohol Policing Unit

As noted by Attorney-General Natasha Fyles:

For too long alcohol-fuelled crime and violence has had a devastating impact on our communities, homes and businesses.

The Territory Labor Governments alcohol reforms are working and there has been reduction in alcohol fuelled crime right across the Territory.

We have reduced the supply of alcohol to problem drinkers through measures like the Banned Drinkers Register, a new Police Alcohol Unit and 75 new Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors.

While these measures are beginning to make a difference, we must continue to invest in programs and people that cut crime now and in the future.

/Public Release. View in full here.