Living with Alcohol in the Northern Territory Executive Summary
Tabled Paper 633
Tabled Papers for 6th Assembly 1990 - 1994; Tabled Papers; ParliamentNT
1991-11-13
Tabled by Marshall Perron
Made available by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory under Standing Order 240. Where copyright subsists with a third party it remains with the original owner and permission may be required to reuse the material.
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Tabled papers
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https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2021C00044
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/293619
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/397376
Alcohol related harm impacts directly or indirectly, to a greater or lesser extent, on the work of a wide range of societal groups and structures - even when it is not necessarily the major focus of their activities - for example, schools and youth agencies, churches, workplaces, media. If we are to succeed in achieving our goals, we need the cooperative relationships between all societal structures and groups which will ensure that common ground is defined between conflicting interests and opinions; that activities and messages are complementary, goals are common, ideas and knowledge are shared; and which demonstrate a willingness to set aside "tu rf issues for the greater good where th at is needed. Within the Territory-wide framework, consultation has identified regional processes as the most logical basis for planning services and programs - where a region is defined as an urban centre with its own particular range of service agencies and programs, together with its constellation of rural and remote communities. Processes will seek to achieve agreement as to what is needed and how it should be provided, with effectiveness from a client perspective and cost efficiency as major criteria. Having formulated a consensus plan, expertise will be provided to assist community organisations in their individual and collective planning and evaluation processes. The system will thus reward cooperation, rather than encouraging competition for resources. To ensure optimal use of funds and equity between regions, planning will be required at the Territory-wide level. Planning and evaluation expertise will also be available to remote Aboriginal communities. Consultation has confirmed the central role of training for all workers in the alcohol area or on whose work alcohol impacts. What is going to happen? the goal of living with alcohol in such a way as to reduce harm is henceforth a policy commitment of the NT Government. It will serve as a policy principle to Government instrumentalities in their operations and interactions with their associated community networks; a small "living with alcohol" policy and coordination unit has been created intially within the Department of the Chief Minister, to gather, coordinate, and provide advice to Government, and to coordinate Government directives relating to the harm reduction plan. Its initial placement in this Department will assist in incorporating living with alcohol goals into all public policy domains. The key to its activities will be wide ranging communication and consultation. It will specifically be responsible for negotiating and coordinating: regional planning processes COOPERATION planning, consultation 5