East Kimberley back State Government grog register reforms, call for bail measures

East Kimberley leaders support the WA Government’s push to beef up the Banned Drinkers Register by giving police and magistrates more powers to bar people from purchasing alcohol. There has been deep frustration in the East Kimberley at the failure of the trialled BDR which has only seen 89 local people put on the register since the trial began in the region in July last year. In the Pilbara only 59 people are on the BDR while in the Goldfields there are only 27. A four week consultation period is underway on proposed legislation to strengthen the BDR which includes creating more pathways for getting people on the register through the courts and police. Darren Spackman of the Kununurra Wyndham Liquor Accord said they were, “fully behind,” strengthening the BDR so that they didn’t end up with more blanket alcohol restrictions for everyone. “We strongly have advocated to any one that will listen to us as a group that we need whole of government support to make it work. “We need the WA Police and the courts to have the tools they require to ensure those with a known history of alcohol-related offenses are added to the register quickly and easily,” he said. He said the Accord in principal supported the proposals to expand pathways for problem drinkers to be put on the register. They also supported proposals to make it an offense to supply a banned drinker with alcohol and giving police powers to tip out alcohol belonging to someone on the BDR. He also wanted police to be given the power to put people arrested for an alcohol-related offense on the BDR before they were dealt with by the courts. In the Territory there are multiple pathways to get people referred to the BDR. They can be referred to the BDR through health workers, social workers, family, carers or by the police and courts. “That is what we want and that’s what we have to have,” Mr Chafer said. “That a bloke can walk straight out of the court (in the East Kimberley) with an AVO and he can go across to the same bottle shop he bought his grog at last time - it’s just ridiculous,” he said. Minister responsible for liquor laws Dr Tony Buti said they had received some common feedback on ways to optimise the Banned Drinkers Register trial following launches in the Pilbara, Kimberley and Goldfields. “We’ve listened to that feedback and developed a package of improvements that will help the Banned Drinkers Register to function as intended. “Drink driving and violent offences are big contributors to alcohol-related harm - this consultation is about creating avenues for people convicted of these offences to be put on the BDR.” Mr Chafer said people were keen to see more people on the BDR so alcohol restrictions - such as limits on beer, wine and liquor purchases - could be lifted. “People are very keen. Once we have a proper BDR then all these other draconian restrictions on our community can be lifted we can go back to living like normal people.” The WA Government plans to extend the BDR trial and open it up to other regions besides where it is currently being conducted in the Kimberley, the Pilbara and the Goldfields.