Alcohol powers returned to Northern Territory

The Australian government has returned alcohol powers to Northern Territory indigenous communities after seizing control in 2007.

The Australian government has handed back alcohol powers to Northern Territory indigenous communities

The Commonwealth seized control of alcohol powers from the Northern Territory (NT) government under a series of policies put into place by the previous Howard government in 2007, designed to tackle neglect and abuse in NT indigenous communities – a move known as ‘the intervention’.

However, the government has retained the right to vary alcohol permit conditions after consulting the NT government.

The move should enable communities such as Elliott, 750km south of Darwin, to lessen restrictions about drinking alcohol in prescribed areas and town camps.

Numerous residents in Elliot, such as traditional owner Heather Wilson, believe the town’s elders were the ones who wanted to tackle the damage caused by alcohol before the intervention.

However, she added a blanket prohibition of drinking in the town camps was over the top, and that for four years community leaders have been working to return alcohol to the camps.

Elliott’s Barkly regional councillor, Bob Bagnall, said, as reported by ABC: “Aboriginal people who live in the town camps, if they want to have a drink they have to go and drink it in the scrub somewhere, whereas white people or aboriginal people who live in the town area, can take their six pack home of a night and have a drink.”