Liquor laws will be significantly strengthened in a remote Western Australian town plagued by crime, with police being given the power to put people on a "banned drinkers" register.
The Banned Drinkers Register (BDR) is aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm and will now be expanded to Carnarvon after being trialled in the Pilbara, Kimberley and Goldfields regions.
The Gascoyne town, 900 kilometres north of Perth, has been dealing with high levels of youth crime, sparking a visit from the Premier last month.
Under the proposed legislation, police and the courts will be able to list people on the register for alcohol-related offending including alcohol-related violence and drink driving.
Health professionals and frontline staff would also be able to refer people while liquor retailers would be required to check the BDR before selling alcohol to customers.
Racing and Gaming Minister Reece Whitby said the register would not be a "cure-all".
"We're taking immediate steps to roll it out in Carnarvon and I'm confident it will help address alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour," he said.
Registering drinkers made easier
Mr Whitby said the laws would make it easier for authorities to put people on the register.
"The changes involve making it easier for that to happen, making there more pathways from police and the courts," he told ABC Radio Perth.
"And having other prescribed officers in the community who work in health and shelters and people that are aware of issues and concerns in the community and work with people with addiction to get them on the register as well."
He said previously, the BDR was policed in the courts — but it was a process that involved a police superintendent or higher as well as going through the liquor enforcement unit in Perth.
"We're making it easier for even the police to get more people on the register, having a sergeant or above, and a process where they can be on the register for a smaller amount of time," he said.
"So it's less of a hurdle, less of a high bar for getting people on the list."
Police would also be given the power to dispose of or seize alcohol from someone on the register.
No quick fix, town president says
Carnarvon Shire president Eddie Smith said the introduction of the register in the area would be a welcome first step.
"I think anything that's going to reduce the harmful consumption of alcohol in our town will be a benefit," he said.
"The biggest problem is the young children, youths on the streets all hours of the night and day, because their parents are impacted by alcohol.
"The majority of the community are behaving themselves and doing the right thing, but when we have just blanket restrictions, that impacts the entire community and a lot of the community aren't happy with that."
Mr Smith said there was no quick fix to the problems facing Carnarvon and other towns in WA's North West region.
"The state government I think is going to have to take a hard line, it's going to be hard work, and I think the federal government has to do the same," he said.
"I know that people will come in and say 'we should incarcerate people'. It's not a matter of incarceration, it's education, enforcing that education and working with people."
Support from hospitality sector
The Australian Hotels Association in WA backed the proposed laws, saying it would "significantly improve" the ability to identify problem drinkers, prohibit them from purchasing alcohol and provide them with the support they need.
"The register should be populated with those who have repeatedly demonstrated an inability to responsibly consume alcohol and who go on to break the law, harm others or endanger the community," the association's CEO Bradley Woods said.
"Today's changes will help ensure such people are prevented from buying alcohol, which will help keep themselves, their families and the community safer."
Carnarvon Hotel licencee Helen Newbey said she believed introducing the register would have an effect.
"It's going to go ahead and it is a good fix, and we think as licensees and the general population in Carnarvon, that it's a good idea," she said.
"It was raised at our liquor accord meetings months and months ago by the police.
"We discussed it to see how it all works and what we have to put in place, and we've gone away and thought about it and come back to the meeting and said 'yep that sounds like a good idea'."
Ms Newbey said addressing alcohol-related issues in the town had become the focus of the state government, but it was just part of the problem.
"The people that will be penalised on the BDR are the people that have been out of line and can't control themselves on alcohol due to violence in the home, or violence in populated areas, so that's an easy fix," she said.
"But the drugs are a major problem and not just in our town, they're in every town.
"So maybe they should focus a little bit more on controlling that and putting more strategies in play, and let's see what we can do there."
The government said the new legislation was being drafted and would be introduced to parliament as soon as possible.
