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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2022-02-09 Daily Xml
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Port Augusta Alcohol Sales Ban

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (14:39): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Health and Wellbeing, representing the Minister for Police in another place, a question about racism by stealth in Port Augusta.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: In an extraordinary move, the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner yesterday introduced a temporary ban on alcohol sales in the township in an attempt to address an increase in alcohol-fuelled crime and antisocial behaviour linked to COVID lockdowns in remote communities and flooded highways to the north and west. According to media reports, police appealed for action after an increase in alcohol-related offences and antisocial behaviour in recent weeks. Four-litre wine casks have been banned and limits placed on hard liquor for all except senior business managers and station managers.

Human rights and native title lawyer, Tim Campbell, believes the three-week ban is race motivated and targets people from the APY lands who have found themselves stranded in Port Augusta because the lands have been shut due to COVID and other areas north of the city unreachable due to recent flooding. An alcohol rehabilitation facility that caters for Aboriginal clients believes the restrictions could lead to more people sharing alcohol, increasing the risk of COVID-19 transmission and cause some people to have alcohol withdrawals, presenting to medical services that don't have the capacity to treat them. Port Augusta Mayor, Brett Benbow, says the council wasn't even consulted about the ban.

My question to the minister is: on what grounds was the commissioner allowed to impose such a blanket ban, which impacts the entire community, not just problem drinkers? Did he seek advice and input from the state government and/or the State Coordinator before doing so and was it discussed by the COVID-Ready powwow? If so, what was that advice and if not, why not? Did his consultation include the Indigenous community and will the government immediately reverse this perverse decision?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:41): I thank the honourable member for his question. The commissioner you are referring to, as I understand it, is the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner, who I suspect reports to the Attorney-General rather than to the police minister, but I will certainly refer the honourable member's questions to the relevant minister and seek an answer to them.

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