Police Minister Paul Papalia suggests Kununurra, among other towns being eyed for Carnarvon-style booze bans

Police Minister Paul Papalia has suggested Kununurra is among other towns being eyed for Carnarvon-style booze bans, which have been credited with immediately turning the town from “a war zone” to “a great place to live”. WA’s director of liquor licensing, Lanie Chopping, announced the onerous restrictions in May, imposing daily volume limits for packaged liquor sales, prohibiting alcohol takeaways entirely on Sundays and Mondays, and only allowing them between midday and 7pm on other days. While publicly available crime statistics show a surge in crime in regional WA since 2020, there is encouraging anecdotal evidence that the bans are having an impact. “There are very significant reductions in crime in Carnarvon in recent times as a consequence of those restrictions,” Mr Papalia said on radio on Wednesday. “I’m sure the director of liquor licensing will be looking at places like Kununurra and elsewhere.” The Carnarvon bans came after a spate of alcohol-fuelled violence, including a brawl involving about 100 people that left a boy with serious head injuries. Shire of Carnarvon president Eddie Smith, who once described the town as looking “like a war zone”, said the restrictions had an “immediate effect” on anti-social behaviour, with streets no longer covered in broken glass. “The entire town looks and feels quieter,” he told The West Australian on Monday. “It’s a great place to live at the moment.” Kununurra bottleshop owner Darren Spackman said the proposed laws would punish the community as a whole, not the problem drinkers. “We don’t have a problem community, we have problem drinkers”, the Gulliver’s Tavern owner said. “The problem is the decision makers want to control the community not the problem people.” Mr Spackman, who is a member of the Wyndham East Kimberley Liquor Accord, said the voluntary group supported targeted liquor laws such as a tougher banned drinkers register, which is at the second reading stage before the Upper House. He is also backing the existing takeaway alcohol system that prevents people exceeding daily alcohol purchase limits in the East Kimberley. Shadow police minister Peter Collier said he supported measures aimed at reducing the harmful use of alcohol, but it was “far too early” to declare victory in Carnarvon. “Having said that, I’m quite receptive to that whole notion,” he told reporters. “There are a number of ... remote and regional areas of Western Australia that would be very, very very receptive to such a program.”