A Central Australian regional council servicing nine remote Aboriginal communities has laid bare the impacts it has observed since long-term alcohol bans were lifted in the Northern Territory in July.
The Central Desert Regional Council (CDRC), which covers an area of around 280,000 square kilometres to the north of Alice Springs, has made a submission to the federal parliamentary inquiry investigating the fallout from the sunsetting of the Stronger Futures legislation.
In a five-page report, CDRC noted a jump in alcohol-fuelled violence, productivity declines in its workforce, and confusion around how the new legislation impacted different areas.
Despite reports from several frontline organisations — including NT Police and the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress — of anecdotal increases in harm since July, the NT government has continued to assert there have been "no substantial increases" in harm to the community.
Since the intervention-era alcohol bans in remote Aboriginal communities came to an end, liquor has become legal in some communities for the first time in 15 years.
Alcohol restrictions in about 100 general restricted areas (GRAs) that were in place prior to the Stronger Futures legislation have continued under the Liquor Act 2019.
Remote residents unprepared for change
CDRC chief executive Leslie Manda said remote residents were unprepared for how the change would impact their community, and how the new laws would work.
"The biggest impact was some of our residents thought it just meant they could procure alcohol and take it back into certain communities, which under the Liquor Act are general restricted areas," he said.
"That was where we saw an influx of alcohol into [dry] communities such as Atitjere, Lajamanu, and even as far as Yuendumu."
Mr Manda also said alcohol-related incidents had increased in several areas in the Central Desert region, which had an estimated population of around 4,200 people.
"It was ranging from violence, anti-social behaviour, and a few other things," he said.
"It all cumulated around that period [from July 16], which would be synonymous with the underlying factors around alcohol."
More alcohol impacting police, council workforce
Mr Manda said it was clear more alcohol was making its way into dry communities since the bans lifted, with remote police under increased pressure trying to manage illegal grog trafficking.
Making matters worse, Mr Manda said residents had raised safety concerns about ringing triple-0 or 131 444, because they were being triaged by Darwin or Alice Springs for local emergencies — despite there being officers on the ground.
"It goes all the way to Darwin, when [residents] are actually probably standing right outside the police station in Yuendumu," he said.
Mr Manda also said more CDRC employees had been taking longer than usual periods off work and there had been a spike in the number of staff members getting stranded in Alice Springs with no money to return to their community — presumably due to "overindulgence in alcohol and the casino".
"We receive phone calls from our staff members saying they're stuck in Alice Springs and they can't go back," he said.
"It just means you're having to do more work with a smaller workforce, and having to support that particular group or cohort of employees to get back to community."
As part of the submission, CDRC also shared its hopes for the replacement of the Community Development Program and proposals for justice reinvestment community services.
NT government forced to 'act quickly'
In a statement, Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said her government had continued to invest heavily in reducing alcohol-related harm and blamed the former federal government for rising assault levels.
"The then Coalition federal government's race-based intervention policy continued to see alcohol-related assaults climb across the Territory — and then they just let it lapse and walked away, forcing us to act quickly," she said.
"More than 200 individual consultations have been held regarding our opt-in policy, which gives the power to decide back to communities.
"There is always more to do, and my government is committed to putting the best measures in place to drive long-term, sustainable change."
Communities can opt-in to be a dry community until January 31, 2023.
The Inquiry into Community Safety, Support Services and Job Opportunities in the Northern Territory will hold three public hearings across the NT next month.
