A sweeping reform is set to hit pubs in Alice Springs as the Northern Territory Liquor Commission implements stringent mid-week alcohol restrictions to address alcohol-related issues.

Starting today, over 20 pubs and bars in the area will be allowed to serve full-strength alcoholic beverages only between 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. from Wednesday to Friday, and only alongside a “full meal.”

This move intensifies the commission’s efforts to resolve social challenges in Central Australia, building on the earlier introduction of takeaway-free Mondays in 2023.

Nonetheless, the hospitality industry has criticized these sweeping regulations as “unprecedented.”

Cathy Simmonds, CEO of Hospitality NT, expressed her concerns to the ABC, stating, “Adjusting the terms for one license is one thing, but imposing conditions on 20 at once is truly unprecedented.”

“It is really unprecedented for the commission to add conditions for 20 in one go.”

Simmonds also warned of the practical toll on workers, noting that the “inconsistency of the rules day to day” would require massive staff retraining.

She argued that alcohol sales have been trending downward since 2018 and that “most tourists and most Territorians drink responsibly.”

Beyond the meal requirements, the commission has recommended that several prominent venues – including the Todd Tavern, The Rock Bar, Bojangles, and The Uncles – implement on-site ID systems.

These systems would allow staff to identify patrons under banning orders, though the rollout depends on the NT Government updating privacy and data-sharing legislation.

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