What we learned today, Tuesday 24 January
That’s where we are going to leave the live blog today, but we’ll continue to bring you the latest from Alice Springs through the evening. Here’s what made news today:
New alcohol restrictions have been introduced in Alice Springs in response to a law and order crisis. A report, due by the end of the month, will consider the reintroduction of an opt-out alcohol ban in the region.
Traditional owners have urged the PM to address “chronic and systemic” neglect of remote communities in the Northern Territory during his visit.
Two senior Australian ministers will fly to France next week to step up efforts to repair the diplomatic rift, with closer cooperation in the Pacific expected to be on the agenda.
An elephant seal has reappeared on a Mornington Peninsula beach after drawing crowds on Friday on the other side of Port Phillip Bay, where it came ashore and smashed windows at a service station.
The return to regular trading in Melbourne’s CBD has coincided with a spike in heroin-related overdoses, with drug experts warning that stalling the city’s second safe-injecting room is putting lives at risk.
And waters from last year’s floods in Australia’s south-east are gushing out to sea and taking carp with them – but the salinity of the ocean is killing the invasive species, so dead fish are now washing up on South Australian beaches.
Until tomorrow, I hope you have a pleasant evening.
Updated
Review of alcohol ban due next week
The newly announced central Australian regional controller, Dorrelle Anderson, has been asked to complete a review on whether a community-wide opt-out bans on alcohol should be reintroduced. At the moment, there is an opt-in ban. That report will be presented to government by the end of the month.
Here’s how the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, explained it:
[Anderson will] report back on the first of February, to myself and to the chief minister, about the implementation of potential changes to alcohol restrictions in central Australia, including potentially moving to an opt-out situation rather than opt-in as applied.
Albanese said Anderson would “consult with communities to make sure we get the right outcome”. The prime minister also said the government would look to address “long-term” issues in Alice Springs, rather than focusing solely on alcohol and crime.
Today, the mayor certainly put forward that it was an issue of youth crime as well as issues related to alcohol. But also there was issues related to employment and opportunity. Issues that were about service delivery and service hubs and about investment in communities.
Updated
