❓ The Minister outlines the positive impact of liquor restrictions in Carnarvon, citing reduced crime and hospitalisations, while expressing disappointment in the local liquor accord's initial inaction.
AnsweredQoN 922Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LIQUOR RESTRICTIONS — CARNARVON
922. Ms L. DALTON to the Minister for Racing and Gaming:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to keeping Western Australians
safe in their local communities.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the recent introduction of liquor
restrictions in Carnarvon is improving outcomes in the community?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how members of the Carnarvon community have responded
to the new restrictions?
922. Ms L. DALTON to the Minister for Racing and Gaming:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to keeping Western Australians
safe in their local communities.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the recent introduction of liquor
restrictions in Carnarvon is improving outcomes in the community?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how members of the Carnarvon community have responded
to the new restrictions?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the member for Geraldton for that question
and her advocacy and concern about the harm that alcohol abuse does in
our community. The member is right. We had a real issue in Carnarvon earlier
this year. It was of extreme concern.
Members may recall that some of the numbers coming through showed that alcohol consumption was almost 2.5 times higher than the overall Western Australian
rate of adult consumption of alcohol. Deaths attributed to alcohol were 151 per
cent higher in Carnarvon than the rest of WA. Alcohol-related hospitalisations
were 82 per cent higher in Carnarvon than the rest of Western Australia.
Alcohol-related crime said were 16.2 times higher than the metro area, and
alcohol-related family assaults and family and domestic violence related to
alcohol was eight times higher than the case in the metro area. What was going
on with alcohol abuse in the town of Carnarvon was a pretty grim picture.
The first thing I did in February
against this backdrop was to go and see the liquor accord. The very first
engagement I had with the community was with the business community, the
licensees and the liquor accord. I can tell members that my experience—the
member for North West Central was in the room at the time; she was there, too—is
that it was very disappointing that the liquor accord there was basically dysfunctional
and incapable of making a decision to protect the community. There was a severe
lack of leadership in relation to what had to be done. There was excellent
leadership from Eddie Smith, the shire president and from the police, community
services and hardworking often women who pick up the pieces, but there was no
leadership amongst the licensees in that community who were prepared to make
the decision to protect their own community. It was a pretty appalling
situation. I engaged with them. I heard what they had to say. I spoke to them.
My message to them was pretty clear that if they did not step up and do something, the director of Liquor Licensing
would, no doubt, do something very soon—and, indeed , that is
what happened in May. Some of the toughest restrictions were introduced,
including the ban on the sale of takeaway liquor on Sundays and Mondays and
other volume restrictions and time restrictions on the purchase of takeaway
alcohol.
Six months later, last week, I went
back to Carnarvon for a check on the ground to see how things were going. I took my colleague Hon Peter Foster, and I visited and met with the incredibly hardworking Eddie Smith,
the shire president, who, by the way, was attacked by certain people in that
community over these restrictions in a pretty appalling way. He had to put up
with a lot of nonsense. It was good to see that he was returned at the recent
elections with an increased majority. Good on Eddie Smith. I met with the police who are now taking a proactive attitude
to crime, not reactive and not picking up the pieces from violence in
the town. They told me that Sunday went from one of their busiest days to one
of their slowest days. It is a complete turnaround in what has happened in that
community. It was very, very encouraging. To quote The West Australian ,
whose journalists accompanied me to Carnarvon —
Crime and antisocial behaviour in
Carnarvon have plunged �
�
� the streets are no longer strewn
with broken glass �
The town is no longer a nightmare
where people could not get a full night's sleep.
Eddie Smith, the shire president,
said he went to an emergency department on Saturday night and he got straight in—unbelievable! There is little
doubt that crime and antisocial behaviour in Carnarvon has plunged significantly since these restrictions were put in place. We estimate a reduction
in crime in the order of about 40 per cent. It proves that our actions as a government
by taking responsibility and the director of Liquor Licensing stepping in has
had an overwhelming positive impact on the town. It reflects on my
disappointment that the local liquor accord and licensees—certain
licensees in the town—were simply incapable or unwilling to make
decisions that would benefit and protect the town. I can remember even the lightest
touch changes proposed by that liquor accord that really would not have had an
impact were still opposed by certain members of the liquor accord. We know who
they were. We saw who they were. They were
opposed to even the lightest touch. That liquor accord was going nowhere. It
was dysfunctional . It was not doing what the community required. Eddie
Smith, the chair of the liquor accord, gave up in frustration, and I do not
blame him. He has been leading the charge for these changes in supporting them
and I support the shire president.
The director of Liquor Licensing
will continue to monitor how these changes have helped the community in
Carnarvon. There may be the ability in future to seek public feedback and make
necessary adjustments based on that community
feedback, but, overwhelmingly, every element of the community that I consulted said these had changed Carnarvon for the better and had had a much better
impact than anybody suspected they would. It is an example of this government
standing up and dealing with the situation, which was very serious at the time,
in terms of minimising the appalling impact of alcohol abuse. I thank the
member for the question and I am very pleased to report what has now happened
in Carnarvon.
and her advocacy and concern about the harm that alcohol abuse does in
our community. The member is right. We had a real issue in Carnarvon earlier
this year. It was of extreme concern.
Members may recall that some of the numbers coming through showed that alcohol consumption was almost 2.5 times higher than the overall Western Australian
rate of adult consumption of alcohol. Deaths attributed to alcohol were 151 per
cent higher in Carnarvon than the rest of WA. Alcohol-related hospitalisations
were 82 per cent higher in Carnarvon than the rest of Western Australia.
Alcohol-related crime said were 16.2 times higher than the metro area, and
alcohol-related family assaults and family and domestic violence related to
alcohol was eight times higher than the case in the metro area. What was going
on with alcohol abuse in the town of Carnarvon was a pretty grim picture.
The first thing I did in February
against this backdrop was to go and see the liquor accord. The very first
engagement I had with the community was with the business community, the
licensees and the liquor accord. I can tell members that my experience—the
member for North West Central was in the room at the time; she was there, too—is
that it was very disappointing that the liquor accord there was basically dysfunctional
and incapable of making a decision to protect the community. There was a severe
lack of leadership in relation to what had to be done. There was excellent
leadership from Eddie Smith, the shire president and from the police, community
services and hardworking often women who pick up the pieces, but there was no
leadership amongst the licensees in that community who were prepared to make
the decision to protect their own community. It was a pretty appalling
situation. I engaged with them. I heard what they had to say. I spoke to them.
My message to them was pretty clear that if they did not step up and do something, the director of Liquor Licensing
would, no doubt, do something very soon—and, indeed , that is
what happened in May. Some of the toughest restrictions were introduced,
including the ban on the sale of takeaway liquor on Sundays and Mondays and
other volume restrictions and time restrictions on the purchase of takeaway
alcohol.
Six months later, last week, I went
back to Carnarvon for a check on the ground to see how things were going. I took my colleague Hon Peter Foster, and I visited and met with the incredibly hardworking Eddie Smith,
the shire president, who, by the way, was attacked by certain people in that
community over these restrictions in a pretty appalling way. He had to put up
with a lot of nonsense. It was good to see that he was returned at the recent
elections with an increased majority. Good on Eddie Smith. I met with the police who are now taking a proactive attitude
to crime, not reactive and not picking up the pieces from violence in
the town. They told me that Sunday went from one of their busiest days to one
of their slowest days. It is a complete turnaround in what has happened in that
community. It was very, very encouraging. To quote The West Australian ,
whose journalists accompanied me to Carnarvon —
Crime and antisocial behaviour in
Carnarvon have plunged �
�
� the streets are no longer strewn
with broken glass �
The town is no longer a nightmare
where people could not get a full night's sleep.
Eddie Smith, the shire president,
said he went to an emergency department on Saturday night and he got straight in—unbelievable! There is little
doubt that crime and antisocial behaviour in Carnarvon has plunged significantly since these restrictions were put in place. We estimate a reduction
in crime in the order of about 40 per cent. It proves that our actions as a government
by taking responsibility and the director of Liquor Licensing stepping in has
had an overwhelming positive impact on the town. It reflects on my
disappointment that the local liquor accord and licensees—certain
licensees in the town—were simply incapable or unwilling to make
decisions that would benefit and protect the town. I can remember even the lightest
touch changes proposed by that liquor accord that really would not have had an
impact were still opposed by certain members of the liquor accord. We know who
they were. We saw who they were. They were
opposed to even the lightest touch. That liquor accord was going nowhere. It
was dysfunctional . It was not doing what the community required. Eddie
Smith, the chair of the liquor accord, gave up in frustration, and I do not
blame him. He has been leading the charge for these changes in supporting them
and I support the shire president.
The director of Liquor Licensing
will continue to monitor how these changes have helped the community in
Carnarvon. There may be the ability in future to seek public feedback and make
necessary adjustments based on that community
feedback, but, overwhelmingly, every element of the community that I consulted said these had changed Carnarvon for the better and had had a much better
impact than anybody suspected they would. It is an example of this government
standing up and dealing with the situation, which was very serious at the time,
in terms of minimising the appalling impact of alcohol abuse. I thank the
member for the question and I am very pleased to report what has now happened
in Carnarvon.
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