The West Australian Police Force’s top brass are again pushing the state’s liquor authorities to restrict the sale of alcohol across more than two dozen regional towns in a bid to crack down on violent crime.
It comes after the Director of Liquor Licensing announced harsh new liquor restrictions in Derby and Broome on Tuesday to bring the towns in line with Carnarvon.
Police first made their approach to liquor licensing director Lanie Chopping in August last year, calling for her to consider imposing tough liquor restrictions in parts of the Kimberley, Pilbara, Midwest-Gascoyne, and Goldfields-Esperance regions.
At the time, Deputy Commissioner Allan Adams said an analysis of 2022 data found that 25 towns around WA had experienced a worse crime rate than Carnarvon.
The Gascoyne town became the target of liquor authorities following claims crime had gotten out of control.
A Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries spokeswoman called the letter ‘unsolicited correspondence’, and said there was no open inquiry into WA police’s submission.
But documents obtained by the ABC — under freedom of information laws — have revealed Commissioner Col Blanch again wrote to Ms Chopping in January pushing for her to consider the proposal.
The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries spokeswoman said the letter supported the Director of Liquor Licensing’s consideration of the introduction of takeaway liquor restrictions in Derby.
“The [Commissioner of Police] wrote that it was a step in the right direction to manage areas with very high alcohol-related harm in Western Australia,” she said.
“The letter noted the police opinion that a consistent regional approach would be desirable and that relevant agencies across government will need to work collectively to implement and enforce new liquor restrictions.
“This was not a submission with respect to the imposition of further liquor restrictions.”
While the contents of the letter remain private, the ABC has seen a letter from Deputy Commissioner Allan Adams drafting its contents with commanders and inspectors from across regional WA police districts.
In the letter that speaks to WA police’s continued frustrations over the impact of alcohol on crime and family violence, Deputy Commissioner Adams said it was necessary to revisit calls to restrict alcohol in 25 regional towns with up-to-date data from 2023.
“I was speaking to [Commander Lawrence Panaia] the other week and he raised the prospect of revisiting the 2022 data that we provided [redacted] back in mid-2023, highlighting 25 towns that had alcohol-related harm rates higher than Carnarvon at the time the Carnarvon data was compiled,” he wrote.
“As 2023 comes to an end, it makes sense that we revisit the situation and look at towns that have a harm metric for 2023 higher than the Carnarvon data relied upon to implement their current liquor restrictions.
“I’m thinking the majority of 2022 towns will still feature prominently in 2023 but there may be some new additions.”
Deputy Commissioner Adams said it was important the letter to Ms Chopping included Commissioner Col Blanch’s signature and an email exchange following the drafting of the letter. It appeared to show the formal submission was sent to Ms Chopping on January 8 this year.
The town list may have changed since its first iteration in August.
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What do WA police want?
The agency proposed in August last year what sort of restrictions it would like to see on takeaway liquor imposed in high-harm towns.
- The sale of alcohol prohibited on Sunday and Monday
- The sale of alcohol only authorised on permitted days between 12pm and 7pm
- Packaged liquor can’t be sold in excess of the following quantities per customer, per day:
- 11.25 litres of beer, cider or pre-mixed spirits where the alcohol content is not above 6 per cent
- 3.75 litres of beer, cider or pre-mixed spirit where the alcohol content is above 6 per cent
- 1.5 litres of wine
- 1 litre of spirits
- or 1 litre of fortified wine
- No sales in an individual container that contains more than 400 millilitres of beer
- Wine to have a minimum price of $15
- Where a product is available in cans, it shouldn’t be sold in glass containers
- Adhere to the banned drinkers register
- Certain exemptions and requirements for tourists, station owners, seafarers, pastoralists or a person employed at a remote work site
What do locals say?
Shire of Morawa president Karen Chappel was vocal about her frustration late last year after her town was included on the list.
She said while it had been initially disappointing to see Morawa included, it had triggered some reflection in her council.
“We have reinstated our Liquor Accord, and we’ve all endorsed and joined it,” Ms Chappel said.
A Liquor Accord is a voluntary agreement between relevant agencies and liquor retailers around the responsible sale of alcohol.
“We are working to be proactive in making sure we don’t end up with these widespread liquor restrictions,” she said.
“The first Liquor Accord [meeting] took place five months ago, and since it started we’ve had six notices issued [by police].
“When you receive the notice, that you’ve breached the liquor accord, you’re ineligible to access alcohol and make any of those purchases for a month.
“It’s not necessarily six different people — it may be one person four times, but it’s only been six in five months.
“We feel that this is evidence that we don’t have this major problem.”
Ms Chappel said she hoped that police would reach out to those shires that could potentially be impacted.
“I’m surprised [these discussions] are ongoing,” she said.
“There’s evidence we’re not perfect, but we’re certainly very far removed from widespread liquor restrictions … so if they were prepared to come and have that conversation with us they’d see the [work we’ve done].”
Alcohol industry criticises lack of transparency
(ABC News: Keane Bourke)
Liquor Stores Association of WA president, Peter Peck, said it was frustrating to see discussions continuing to be had behind closed doors.
“It’s disappointing [we still have this] cloak of secrecy,” he said.
“If it was all out in the open and we were having roundtable conversations and discussing this issue as a community, including industry, we might make some sort of step forward.
“But all the time it’s just combative.”
Mr Peck’s comments come after the association criticised the government’s focus on restrictions in Derby and Broome rather than adequately resourcing support services.
“I just wish all sides would sit down and communicate,” Mr Peck said.
“I’m absolutely sick to my back teeth and it makes my blood boil — I always hear people talk at each other, but no-one’s willing to talk to each other.
“Until we start talking to each other, this problem is going to grow like cancer.”
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