The WA government has defended its support and expansion of the Banned Drinkers Register (BDR) as questions continue over its effectiveness in other areas of the state.
Key points:
- The banned drinkers register trial has been expanded to Carnarvon and Gascoyne Junction
- It’s part of the liquor restrictions introduced earlier this month
- The WA government is looking to increase the ways people can be added to BDR after criticism it’s been ineffective in other areas
Carnarvon and Gascoyne Junction, more than 800km north of Perth, are the latest towns to have the scheme rolled out.
It is part of a government strategy to combat ongoing crime and violence in the region.
The expansion has resulted in 12 people being added.
There are fewer than 300 on the register across the Kimberley, Pilbara and Goldfields, where the scheme also operates.
Racing and Gaming Minister Reece Whitby has conceded there have been issues, but said measures to strengthen the scheme were expected to come into effect later this year after legislation was introduced to parliament late last week.
“What our evaluation found from the Kimberley trial was that it needed to be beefed [up] because there were relatively lower numbers and we were finding we weren’t getting as many people on the list as we wanted,” he said.
Carnarvon roll out
Tuesday marked the scheme’s first official day of operation in Carnarvon, with newly-enforced liquor restrictions preventing the town’s bottleshops from trading on Mondays.
Carnarvon Chamber of Commerce president Paul Dixon said it would take a little while for people to adjust, but support was high for any potential solution to the ongoing issues.
“I think there would be very, very few people in town, that don’t think something needed to change and needed to happen to make sure that our community continues to be a good and safe community,” he said.
“And if the BDR is one of those things, then really having to come up with your driver’s licence or your passport is a really a small price to pay, isn’t it?”
The scanning devices also monitor the sale of liquor to ensure customers aren’t using multiple bottle shops to breach the town’s liquor restrictions.
Mr Dixon said the need for a physical form of ID had been challenging for some visitors to the town and older residents who no longer had a passport or driver’s licence.
Government promises improvement
Increasing the circumstances in which police and courts can register individuals, as well as allowing health care professionals to refer someone are among the changes the government is trying to implement.
It will become an offence to knowingly supply someone on the register with alcohol and the penalty will be a fine of up to $10,000.
Shadow Racing and Gaming spokesman Peter Rundle said the introduction of the register to Carnarvon was a welcome step, but wrap around services needed to be in place for it to be effective.
“The government have failed to deliver services which may have prevented the need for the BDR, which they would not have allowed to occur in the suburbs of Perth,” he said.
“The announcement of an enhanced BDR is an admission by the McGowan Labor Government that they have failed to deliver programs designed to keep regional communities safe.”
Perth expansion ruled out
Mr Dixon said there should more scanners introduced across state to better regulate the register.
“If you’re on the banned drinkers register and you buy alcohol in Perth, it’s unlikely that you would be discovered in the current system,” he said.
Mr Whitby said the trial was focused on communities facing the worst issues related to alcohol related harm and crime.
“[In] the metropolitan area you don’t have that preponderance of issues,” he said.
“There are areas where, and I’m sure there are families and certain parts of Perth that have an issue, but across the broader scope of the metropolitan area you don’t have this same extent of community issues related to alcohol abuse.
“It’s a big deal to introduce this kind of scheme across the metro area, where you have many hundreds and hundreds of outlets.”