Alcohol Bans in Alice Springs Sees Crime Rates Fall by a Third

Members of the Mutitjulu Aboriginal community walk through the grounds in Mutitjulu, near Alice Springs, Australia, on July 6, 2007. (Ian Waldie/Getty Images)

Rates of domestic violence assaults in Alice Springs have fallen by over a third since alcohol bans were reintroduced by the Northern Territory government in January.

This followed calls from NT community groups over rising youth crime and anti-social behaviour after the expiration of long-term alcohol bans in July 2022.

“Over the last three months, we have seen these alcohol ­restrictions work and support our community and frontline workers,” an NT government spokeswoman said, reported The Australian.

“Domestic violence has dropped by a third in the months since the takeaway alcohol restrictions were reintroduced into the Northern Territory town.”

Currently, Aboriginal people living in remote communities cannot purchase takeaway alcohol on Mondays and Tuesdays, with limits to purchases during the week; communities also reverted back to alcohol dry zones in February.

However, these can be overturned if more than 60 percent of residents vote for an alcohol management plan.

Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson urged the NT and Commonwealth governments not to reduce any alcohol restrictions.

“I’ll be begging them to keep that policy in place,” Paterson said.

“Clearly, if you look at it, this is working.”

Alcohol Bans Having a Positive Effect

John Boffa, from the People’s Alcohol Action Coalition, said the restrictions were having a positive impact on residents.

“It’s incredibly noticeable, the change is in front of everyone’s faces … The town is a different place again … We’ve seen a big improvement because of alcohol restrictions, but we can’t be complacent,” Boffa said, reported The Guardian.

“You can’t not notice it living in Alice Springs.”

Boffa said the fall in crime rates should attract essential workers, such as GPs, back to Alice Springs.

He also added that deep-rooted and complex issues should not be ignored.

“We’ve got to address poverty, inequality, unemployment, educational attainment, early childhood, trauma, the very things that we know make a big difference in terms of being able to live safely with alcohol, but that will take time,” he said.

Meanwhile, Marion Scrymgour, the Labor MP for the federal seat of Lingiari, urged the NT government not to make any changes to the alcohol restrictions lightly.

“I have always said that restrictions are an important piece of ­alleviating some of the challenges we face in Central Australia. ­Alcohol is a major contributor to violence and the restrictions have shown that reducing supply can make a difference,” she said.

“It is critical the NT government work with communities on their harm minimisation and ­Alcohol Management Plans ­before any changes to restrictions take place.”

The Northern Territory government was initially hesitant about reinstating the bans, saying that they were “race-based” and would “disempower” Aboriginals.

However, Country Liberal Senator Jacinta Price said that if the NT government had listened to local concerns earlier, “we would be much further along in the process” of reducing alcohol-related harm.

Alcohol laws in the NT are currently under a three-year review by the NT government.

The federal government has set aside a $250 million emergency response package for the Northern Territory to improve community safety, infrastructure, education, health access, and community-led initiatives.