Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination

On 11 October 2005, the Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing delivered an Alcohol Ministerial Statement to the Legislative Assembly which outlined the Government’s approach to addressing alcohol issues in the community. A significant initiative of the new approach was the establishment of the Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination.

The Office has been designed partly on the recommendations of the Final Report of the Alcohol Framework project that was completed in 2004 and based on preliminary work presented in an Interim Report. The primary role of the Office is to help monitor, develop, support and integrate Government policies, services and programs to reduce alcohol-related harm in the community.

Many Government agencies direct significant resources toward addressing alcohol-related harm. This effort cuts across different sectors and covers activities that contribute to a range of outcomes: from prevention and diversion through to treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration. A key role of the Office is to provide an overview of that activity and enhance coordination and collaboration, identify and redress gaps, and reduce duplication.

The Office works directly with individual agencies and through interdepartmental structures established specifically to attend to alcohol-related issues . It reports to the Minister of Racing, Gaming and Licensing and to Cabinet.

Related to its role within government, the Office also supports communities to develop local Alcohol Management Plans. In addition to providing expert advice and critical input to those Plans, the Office ensures local communities are linked into appropriate Departments and that Departments deliver as much as possible to enable the plans to be implemented.

Functions of the Office include:

Coordinating Government policies related to alcohol and ensuring that the community and industry have input into policy development.
Facilitating information sharing among government and non-government stakeholders.
Coordinating progress reports from each Department and preparing an annual report on whole-of-government and community-based initiatives.
Supervising regular data collections and monitoring the effects of strategies and policies.
Oversighting broad social marketing campaigns and community education programs
Providing expert advice and support.

The Office is not assuming responsibility for activities and strategies that are already managed by different agencies. The work done by individual Departments remains the responsibility of those respective Departments.

Government Approach

A summary of Government's approach to alcohol outlines the goals and outcomes to be achieved, the priority areas for action and the principles used to guide strategy development.

A number of priority actions have been identified by Government and these are being progressively implemented by lead agencies. The actions cover development and coordination of the whole-of-government approach, broad participation in policy and programs, the development of local solutions, various interventions and treatments, a new Liquor Act, reforms to the Licensing Commission, nurturing more responsible liquor outlets and building a strong information base.

Alcohol Indicators and Statistics

To help gauge the impact of Government and community strategies, an agreed set of data are regularly collated. These alcohol indicators and statistics are from various sources and provide an overview of consumption and related indicators of harm.

Competition and Profitability Along Mitchell Street

In 2006 the OAPC funded Allen Consulting to review evidence about the density of outlets along Mitchell Street, their viability and their contribution to alcohol-related harms in the neighborhood. The report was prepared for the Licensing Commission and can be accessed via the Commission's webpage.

Katherine Alcohol Management Plan

The Katherine Regional Harmony Group has drafted a Plan that includes eight key strategies. The draft has been put out for public comment until the end of March and will then be finalised for implementation.

Email Contact

The Office has an email address at oapc.justice@nt.gov.au