Liquor sales are skyrocketing in Alice Springs after long-term alcohol bans across hundreds of remote communities came to an end, with one bottle shop reporting a near tripling of sales.
There have been chaotic scenes at some stores, with long lines and an increase in disorderly behaviour towards staff.
The bans were introduced during the Northern Territory's Emergency Response — known as the NT Intervention — in 2007 and continued under Stronger Futures legislation from 2012 until midnight last Saturday.
Police auxiliary liquor inspectors (PALIs) were intended to be stationed at every store during opening hours but have not been seen.
Lhere Artepe Supermarkets, which runs three IGAs in Alice Springs attached with takeaway liquor outlets, intermittently shut its bottle shops to try and manage the situation.
Chief executive Temba Ncube said PALIs were absent from all stores on several days this week, leaving staff without police powers to deal with abusive customers.
"Then we realised that we could not take it anymore. We shut our doors at 8pm [instead of 9pm].
"To be frank, it's a cause for concern ... the safety of our staff is very important."
Mr Ncube said he was not notified by Northern Territory Police about the absence of PALIs and was not able to make arrangements for private security because their presence was "inconsistent".
He added that Northside IGA's liquor sales jumped on Monday from a typical $6,000-6,500 to $16,000.
"I couldn't believe the amount of alcohol we sold on Monday," Mr Ncube said.
"Our liquor manager was surprised about the amount of spirits sold on that day."
Police Minister unaware
When NT Police Minister Kate Worden was asked on ABC Radio about the situation, she conceded she had not been aware of the PALIs resourcing issue until tuning into the program.
Ms Worden said she had since spoken to Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker and learnt the workforce had been impacted by COVID-19.
"We haven't been able to fill every shift that we've had for PALIs," she said.
"That's an unfortunate part of where we are in all of the service sectors and frontline personnel."
Alcohol-fuelled violence rises
NT Police said there had been a surge in domestic violence incidents, many involving alcohol, since the legislative changes.
Police on Thursday said officers had responded to 30 domestic violence incidents in the previous 24 hours.
The spike came as the AFL visited Alice Springs for its annual Heart of Nation match on Sunday, which attracted thousands of visitors from remote communities and interstate.
It is as 'we all feared'
Labor Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour said the issues facing the region were "playing out as we all feared".
Ms Scrymgour slammed the NT government's handling of the expiry of the Stronger Futures legislation, which saw previously dry communities made to "opt-in" if they wanted to keep alcohol bans in place.
"We have to call out and act on what is a level of dysfunction that is clearly a crisis issue on the ground in communities like Alice Springs … and it won't just be Alice Springs," she said.
"Having worked in the health sector, seen firsthand the impact of alcohol and what that can do — not only to individuals but to families — we can't ignore this substance.
"Yes, it may be legal, but it's a known fact that Aboriginal people and the impact of alcohol is one that creates a whole lot of dysfunction and problems."
Ms Scrymgour said it was her understanding that only one camp out of 20 around Alice Springs had opted to remain dry.
Communities across the Northern Territory have until January 31, 2023, to apply to stay dry.
