Liquor restrictions and banned drinkers register in Pilbara to cloud final outcome

A trial of a Northern Territory-style banned drinkers’ register in the Pilbara region is set to run around the same time as tough new Pilbara liquor restrictions, sparking concerns about the independence of final data.

Tougher region-wide liquor restrictions begin at the end of the month, while the banned drinkers register is set to launch a few months later.

Speaking to The West Australian, West Pilbara Liquor Accord chairman Bart Parsons said it “muddies the waters”.

“I always thought we should do a banned drinker register test pilot without the restrictions to give it a clean slate and see if it works, because I haven’t seen any literature to suggest restrictions have worked,” he said

“My direct concern is in two years, if the banned drinkers’ register is not working, it will be because of the restrictions.

“So there’s going to be a level of scrutiny that can be applied because there’s two (measures) running at the same time.”

WA Nationals deputy leader Jacqui Boydell echoed concerns over the two programs running concurrently.

“At my meeting with the Director of Liquor Licensing delegate in January, I outlined my concerns around how the effectiveness of the new bans would be monitored given the (register) was due to run concurrently,” she said.

“I have asked the director to provide clarity on that matter and I await his response.”

However, a State Government spokeswoman said the evaluation of the banned drinkers’ register would not be complicated by the simultaneous implementation of liquor restrictions.

“They are unlikely to cause disruption for the introduction of the trial as they are uniform in each town,” she said.

“One of the objectives of the trial, however, is to determine at some point whether restrictions can taper off and restrictive measures only target people with alcohol problems.”

Sheridan Randall, 7th March 2019