12/02/12, 14:10:46 EST

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Grog bans hurting NT tourism, Labor says

theage.com.au

Federal government grog bans across the Northern Territory are hurting the local tourism industry, Labor MP Warren Snowdon says.

The member for Lingiari and opposition parliamentary secretary for indigenous affairs said the alcohol measures, including a total ban for all Aboriginal lands, had "far-reaching and drastic consequences".

Among the top concerns with the federal government's efforts to stamp out child abuse were ID requirements for buying certain types of alcohol and bottle shops having to calculate and record the amount of alcohol purchased.

Difficulties about where fishing parties could launch boats if they intended to consume alcohol on rivers were another worry, he said, along with bans at tourist attractions such as Uluru, Nitmiluk Katherine Gorge and Kakadu.

Laws outlawing grog on Aboriginal lands come into effect from September 15.

"I have been told ... that the person responsible for the new laws, federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough, is refusing to discuss the issues with concerned parties," Mr Snowdon said.

"I call on Mr Brough to get out of his ministerial suites in Canberra and talk to the people who know (about) the impact."

Mr Snowdon said the measures impacted on recreation, tourism and the hospitality industry.

"Dealing with the abuse of any substance requires an armoury of complementary strategies and total prohibition brings its own problems, not least of which is policing," he said.

Groups such as the Australian Hotels Association and the tourism industry support the intent of the laws, Mr Snowdon said.

"But they are identifying problems and unintended consequences on a daily basis ... this is an urgent matter and they want something done.

"It is clear that he will need to reconsider these measures and ensure that they address the unintended consequences."

Earlier this week, Tourism Top End said it was hopeful exemptions would be granted under the federal intervention laws to allow tour operators to take alcohol onto Aboriginal land.

 Printable Version  | published Sep 06, 2007