With the end of the Alice Spring Youth Curfew approaching, one clear strategy to curb anti-social behaviour is emerging: Reducing the number of stores selling alcohol. But a scheme to buy licences back off takeaway stores has hit a roadblock, with negotiations between the NT government and one company stalling. Now, the federal government is suggesting it could help.
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00:00 As the curfew's curtain call approaches and focus shifts to what comes next, one solution
00:07 is gaining traction, reducing the amount of takeaway liquor stores in Central Australia
00:14 in an attempt to limit access to alcohol.
00:18 I think it could certainly reduce some of that localised harm and anti-social behaviour
00:24 we see in our suburbs and it could make it easier for police or security services and
00:30 support services to monitor the hot spot.
00:33 There's nine outlets that need full coverage now based on the government's commitment.
00:38 If that could be reduced a outlet or two, we know that that would have an impact.
00:43 The NT government already has a licensed buyback scheme, but negotiations in Alice Springs
00:50 with one local grocery store that owns three licences have hit a roadblock.
00:56 We need the proper value for those liquor licences. We've worked very hard to sell a
01:01 legal product in the most responsible way we can.
01:05 Now the Federal Government has suggested it could assist in covering the cost of a licence.
01:11 The health harm that alcohol is doing to Aboriginal people, then this is a good process that we
01:19 can adopt with the Northern Territory Government.
01:22 I am open to the Federal Government putting money into the Northern Territory every single
01:27 day of the week.
01:28 Even with this reform, reducing access to alcohol doesn't necessarily reduce demand.
01:34 And while industry and frontline services agree it's a step in the right direction,
01:38 it's clear there's no easy fix for the entrenched issues here in Alice Springs.
01:44 It may do something in the short term, but in the long term people can still access alcohol.
01:50 It will provide some benefits to perhaps the people who live near the stores that are currently
01:56 selling, but other than that it's not going to change the addiction.
02:00 One piece of a long term puzzle.
02:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]