Legislation has now passed in the NT for town camps and communities to revert to dry zones. Communities will need to partake in a robust opt-out process, including the development of a Community Alcohol Plan approved by 60 per cent of the community and the Director of Liquor Licensing.
Where an existing General Restricted Area is in place, or where a community has already opted-in to become a dry zone, there is no change. The NT Government says that means that 88 of the 96 major communities will not undergo any change, many of which have few or no people living on them.
Many of the remaining town camps, outstations and homelands which will revert to dry zones under this Bill often have few or no people living on them. The government emphasises that the move is in response to community concerns and that the response needs to address "the underlying concerns of antisocial behaviour. The issues are complex and have developed over decades".
NT's Chief Minister and Minister for Alcohol Policy, Natasha Fyles said: “These restrictions are time-limited, providing us the space to invest in new, smarter, long-term reforms required to break the cycle of alcohol, crime and disadvantage. People in the Territory want safer communities now. They also want us to address the issue at its source so that our communities are also safer in the future."
The Federal Government and NT governments have committed to investing close to $300 million for additional safety measures, including police and law enforcement, family and domestic violence and an improvement in youth services.
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