Question regarding the communication and rollout of alcohol carriage limits in Carnarvon and Gascoyne Junction, with accusations of delayed communication and lack of community consultation. The Minister defends the initiative, highlighting its purpose to combat sly grogging and protect vulnerable communities.

AnsweredQoN 541Legislative Assembly
Asked
17 August 2023
Portfolio
Racing and Gaming

QuestionView source ↗

ALCOHOL ONSELLING —
PROHIBITION REGULATIONS — CARNARVON AND GASCOYNE JUNCTION
541. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Racing and Gaming:
I refer to Monday's
announcement of regulations for the carriage limits of alcohol imposed on
Carnarvon and Gascoyne Junction, which were gazetted on 9 August.
(1) Why was there
an apparent delay in the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural
Industries' communication of these changes to the community and
industry?
(2) Was that the result of an
instruction from the minister or his office?
(3) Is it
appropriate for the minister's office to make an announcement without
consulting or educating the community, thereby exposing law-abiding citizens to
the risk of unknowingly breaking the law?
(4) Can the minister inform the house which other
communities the minister intends to roll this measure out to?

AnswerView source ↗

(1)–(4) There
was no failure to inform the community. We have spoken about these limits for a
long time. They are very clear and
information has been made available. In fact, I have a copy of a poster in my
office that has been made available to liquor outlets. It is well known.
The police will play a very informed role in the implementation of the regulations,
which will not apply to certain categories of people. This is about targeting
sly groggers who prey on the misery of people who are affected by alcohol. I am
surprised that the Leader of the Opposition would question an initiative like
this, which is intended to avoid some of the crises that we have seen in
communities, including in Carnarvon, to avoid family and domestic violence, to
avoid kids being too terrified to go home, and to avoid vandalism and crime in
communities in Western Australia, including remote communities.
These restrictions are about stopping
sly groggers making exorbitant profits at the expense of vulnerable families
and people with an addiction by charging huge, inflated prices for alcohol and
taking all their money. It is designed to protect those people and stop the sly
groggers. I would expect, and I hope, that as a representative of a regional
electorate the Leader of the Opposition would be the first to support these
measures because they are intended to support communities and help our most
vulnerable people who are impacted by the scourge of alcohol abuse.

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