Grog bans not going yet: Newman

QUEENSLAND: The Queensland government will not scrap alcohol bans in remote Indigenous communities until it has created new plans to deal with the problem, Premier Campbell Newman says.

Before the recent state election, Mr Newman said alcohol management plans (AMPs), which have been in place since 2002, were not working.

Earlier this month, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Minister Glen Elmes met with far north Queensland mayors, asking for feedback on the plans.

Mr Newman said although he remained opposed to the AMPs, he would not lift them until Mr Elmes had completed his review.

“Ultimately we’ve got to teach people to be responsible and to have their own way of controlling their behaviour,” Mr Newman told reporters in the Cape York town of Coen on Tuesday.

“But I stress, there is no suggestion this government is going to take away AMPs tomorrow, next week or next year until we have a plan which we can make sure is effective.”

AAP