CANBERRA, Feb 7 (NNN-AAP) – Alcohol ban will be reinstated for indigenous communities, in central Australia, in response to a crime crisis.
Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and Chief Minister of the Northern Territory (NT), Natasha Fyles, confirmed yesterday that, dry zones will be reinstated for indigenous town camps and communities near Alice Springs.
It comes less than 12 months after intervention-era alcohol ban in the NT ended in Jul, 2022, making alcohol legal in some areas for the first time in 15 years.
As a result, rates of alcohol-fuelled violence have soared in Alice Springs, drawing national attention and calls from Mayor Matt Paterson, for Australian Defence Force (ADF) support.
Albanese visited the region late Jan, and launched a review, recommending the return of ban.
Under new legislation, that was introduced to the NT Parliament yesterday, communities can apply to opt out of the reinstated ban, if 60 percent of residents support the decision, and they have an alcohol management plan in place.
Addressing parliament, Albanese conceded the current and former government could have done more, to plan for the end of the 15-year ban.
He said, the situation in Alice Springs is about more than alcohol, and announced 250 million Australian dollars (173 million U.S. dollars) in funding, for a “better, safer future” for the region.
“This is about intergenerational disadvantage. It is about a lack of employment services, a lack of community services, a lack of educational opportunity,” he said.– NNN-AAP
