Indigenous mayors up in arms at grog ban

Alcohol bans will stay in place in Indigenous communities despite the warnings from Indigenous mayors that the State Government's Alcohol Management Plan is making "criminals" out of Aboriginal people. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Minister Desley Boyle announced that the Bligh Government is not backing down from its strong stance on alcohol in Aboriginal communities until family violence is under control and all children are going to school.

Several Indigenous mayors have highlighted the need to focus on alcohol rehabilitation given the over-representation of Indigenous people in prisons, and have suggested putting the revenue raised from fines back into the community to assist with these rehabilitation services.

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