McGowan wants consultation before Pilbara beer ban

Premier Mark McGowan says the Pilbara community must be consulted before full-strength beer is banned from bottle shops in an attempt to curb alcohol-fuelled violence.

WA Police have made a submission to the liquor licensing authority recommending a ban, which would affect mining towns as well as Roebourne, which has become notorious for its child sex abuse problems.

Mr McGowan said on Monday that the Director of Liquor Licensing had not made a ruling yet and any such decision would require a full inquiry.

“There’s all sorts of communities around Western Australia that have restrictions on the sorts of alcohol that can be bought, when it can be bought and whether it can be bought at all,” he said.

“With the Pilbara, it needs to be carefully managed to make sure it doesn’t have unintended consequences and we need to make sure the community is fully consulted before any changes are put in place.”

A WA Police spokeswoman confirmed that the request to impose conditions on the Pilbara related to the “consumption and availability of packaged liquor”.

She said police at times made a recommendation to the Director of Liquor Licensing to limit the supply of alcohol into at risk communities.

It comes after new WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson visited the region after a request from the Premier to meet with people in Roebourne.