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Problem drinkers can still buy 60 beers, six bottles of wine and one bottle of liquor a day in Alice Springs, even after limits were imposed to curb violence.
The remote Northern Territory town has been hit by a crime crisis in recent months, with gangs of young men roaming the streets looking for trouble.
Much of the blame for the violence has fallen on alcohol bans on Aboriginal communities outside of Alice Springs that were lifted in July.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese negotiated severe temporary restrictions on opening hours during a four-hour whirlwind visit last week.
Problem drinkers can still buy 60 beers, six bottles of wine and one bottle of liquor a day in Alice Springs, even after limits were imposed to curb violence.
Customers can only purchase two slabs of beer, cider, or pre-mixed spirits, six bottles of wine, and 750ml of spirits at a time, with 1-litre bottles of spirits being withdrawn from sale.
The outlets can only be open from 3 pm to 7 pm Wednesday through Saturday and customers are limited to one purchase per day.
Major bottle shops have imposed their own additional restrictions to prevent further government intervention, but drinkers can still buy more than they would need.
The Liquorland and BWS in Alice Springs CBD, along with three Cellarbrations scattered throughout the suburbs, have the same limits.
Customers can only purchase two slabs of beer, cider, or pre-mixed spirits, six bottles of wine, and 750ml of spirits at a time, with 1-litre bottles of spirits being withdrawn from sale.
However, this is still a massive amount of alcohol that would take even a serious alcoholic days to get through, and would easily see them through the three day ban.
Alice Springs also has at least three independent bottle shops in addition to the five owned by major chains, but they are believed to follow the same rules.
One resident described the self-imposed limits on retailers as “burlesque” as they would do nothing to prevent alcohol abuse in the troubled city.
Much of the blame for the violence has fallen on alcohol bans on Aboriginal communities outside of Alice Springs that were lifted in July.
The only Liquorland and BWS in Alice Springs CBD, along with three Cellarbrations dotted around the suburbs in the same confines.
Alcohol was completely banned for many years in the mostly Aboriginal camps and villages outside of Alice Springs, but not in the town itself.
Alice Springs and Tennant Creek have about 25 of the Territory’s 43 urban campgrounds in their vicinity.
The NT government allowed the ban to lapse in July, which according to locals led to a rise in violent crime.
But others argue that the young people who cause the most problems are mostly not intoxicated and that the main cause is that they go out at night to avoid deplorable conditions at home.
Rachel Hale, a nurse who filmed shocking scenes outside a pub on Saturday night, said children as young as two were regularly raped and lived in squalid, overcrowded houses.
‘Some of these houses have 10 to 15 people sleeping on the floor of a three-bedroom house. There is no personal hygiene, there are lice, scabies, fungal rashes, worms in the wounds, perforated ear drums, the level of care is shocking,” she said.
‘That is why the children are not at home, along with the vicious sexual assaults. The parents, the uncles, the cousins are all drinking and taking advantage of the children.
Namfon Fon’s 16-year-old son was attacked by three axe-wielding youths who hit him on the “face, stomach, leg and other parts of the body”.
Just last week, a teenager was attacked with an axe, a fight broke out in a shopping center and patrons in a pub were mobbed by violent youths.
Dozens of teenagers insulted the patrons of the Diplomat Hotel, calling them ‘white shit’ and even spitting on them.
Others got into a fight with a young man who tried to confront them, and another tried to hit drinkers behind the pub fence with a tree branch.
Then, on Monday, the 16-year-old son of hospital worker Namfon Fon was attacked with an ax in mid-afternoon.
Disturbing video of the assault obtained by Daily Mail Australia showed three young men, one wielding an ax or hatchet, sleeping with the teenager, punching and kicking him as he cowered in a park.
Other footage taken at the Yeperenye shopping center on Tuesday showed a group of youths throwing chairs and chasing each other to trade blows.
The violence sent staff and shoppers running for cover as it spread through the busy mall.
Locals have reported seeing people so desperate for alcohol that they mix hand sanitizer with water or orange juice and drink it in front of children.
However, this is still a massive amount of alcohol that would take even a serious alcoholic days to get through, and would easily see through the three-day ban.
A map of recent properties for sale shows that locals are fed up and fear for their safety as alcohol-fueled violence escalates and even the mayor says he “can’t blame them.”
About 200 properties are for sale in the inland city, which has a population of 26,000, as some residents express fears the region will become a drop-in and drop-out city for workers.
During his brief visit to the city last week, Albanese announced new restrictions on alcohol and pledged $48.8 million over two years for programs that address crime.
But hundreds of Alice Springs residents were unimpressed and held a town hall meeting Monday night to discuss what to do about the crime wave.
Local businessman Garth Thompson said he was planning a $1.5 billion class action lawsuit against the NT government for allegedly allowing the crisis to happen.
As youth crime rampages, Alice Springs sales data reveals 200 properties are for sale as locals pack up and leave town.