West Pilbara Liquor Accord backs Kimberley Regional Group’s request to add DV abusers to BDR

The head of Karratha’s liquor industry group has backed calls from the Kimberley region’s four shire presidents to add domestic abusers to the banned drinkers register. Unanimously passed at the Kimberley Regional Group’s February 22 meeting, the move supports the Broome liquor accord suggestion the State Government change legislation regarding prohibition notices to include those convicted of domestic violence at sentencing and as a condition of bail for relevant offences. West Pilbara Liquor Accord chairman and Stardeck Group owner Bart Parsons said the move was a step in the right direction. “We’re in the trial phase of the BDR but we really want it to be targeting the problematic people in the community and they aren’t always necessarily going to be at a licensed premises,” he said. “The point of sale at a bottle shop, that’s probably where they are sober most of the time, and then go back and things can happen in the house or on the street. “I wouldn’t say it’s needed in every single place in the Pilbara but there’s definitely specific issues in specific small communities and towns.” Mr Parsons said leaving the decision to a judge would be the “fairest way”. “The only other issue with that is that the Northern Territory tended to clog the court system up a lot so I suppose as long as it’s done in a way which isn’t taking forever to help the victims that’s also very favourable in our opinion as an accord,” he said. Current bulk purchase restrictions would also be investigated by the KRG secretariat.