Community driven alcohol management rewarded

Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Lindy Nelson-Carr said she is pleased to see community leaders in Pormpuraaw, Doomadgee and Mapoon taking positive steps towards alcohol management and harm reduction.

“These communities will each receive $100,000 to fund local community activities as a reward for demonstrating a willingness to significantly reduce alcohol consumption and related harm,” Ms Nelson-Carr said.

“While there is still much work to be done on reducing harm in these communities, they have taken the first steps to self-management of alcohol arrangements,” she said.

“In Pormpuraaw, the community is actively driving alcohol management and has taken action to reduce harm by proposing a zero carriage limit, including a ban on home-brew.

“To support this change, the council voluntarily prohibited takeaways from the canteen from 1 July 2008.

“The Doomadgee Council and Community Justice Group have responded positively to the alcohol reforms by volunteering to remove full strength beer from their community and banning home-brew.

“Despite the low levels of harm in Mapoon, community leaders supported maintenance of the existing carriage limit to continue with their proactive approach to alcohol management.

“Similar rewards will be available for those communities who demonstrate a willingness to significantly reduce alcohol consumption and related harm.”

Ms Nelson-Carr encouraged community leaders to look at implementing other community- led actions such as participation in anti-sly grog accords or developing local laws, stressing individual community members can make a difference.

“It is up to each community member to ask what positive action can they make to help improve their own health outcomes and strengthen their community.

“Residents can take action by making sure children attend school, reporting sly grog activities or, in communities with a carriage limit above zero, declaring their house a dry place.

“It is these kinds of positive actions that can become the big ripple of change.

“Communities can reduce violence on their own. Alcohol restrictions may not be needed in the future if harm can be reduced and stay at a low level.”

Media Contact: Minister Nelson-Carr’s Office 3235 4280