Dry zone not effective, welfare leaders claim

Th city dry zone has been described as racist policy. Source: The Advertiser

This is completely at odds with the opinion of welfare leaders who say it should be scrapped because it doesn't deal with the issues at the heart of public-drinking.

Social Inclusion Commissioner Monsignor David Cappo said the Adelaide central business district dry zone was the equivalent of "funnelling Aboriginal people into the justice system".

"The council should strongly consider the removal of the dry zone and seek better ways to connect with and support vulnerable people in the city," Monsignor Cappo said.

He said the city dry zone could also shift the problem elsewhere, away from the services and support available in the city.

"We must engage with vulnerable people and support them," he said. "There should be integrated services working for them, including housing, mental health, and drug and alcohol services."

Ray F posted: "David Cappo is really out of touch...the public needs to be protected and I would hate to go back to the old days of being abused and harassed in Victoria Square."

David of Morphett Vale agreed the dry zone was needed.

"Why can't our legislators be honest for once and come out and admit that having people laying about in our city consuming alcohol is not a good look?" he said.

"We promote Adelaide as a clean, safe and sophisticated city in which to do business but the million dollar views from the million dollar offices are being spoiled by the drunks in the square. That's why we need the dry zones in the CBD."

Last financial year, police caught 1731 people in possession of alcohol and 889 people drinking alcohol in Adelaide's dry area.

This compared to 1080 and 558 offences respectively in 2008-09 and was about a four-fold increase on 457 and 242 offences in 2004-05.

Police Licensing Enforcement Branch Chief Inspector Joanne Shanahan said there were a number of factors that might have contributed to the rise, including increased police activity. "Both councils and police believe designated dry zones are an appropriate way of controlling and/or reducing public disorder offences," she said.

Joyce Vandersman, a spokeswoman for Inner City Homelessness Administrators Group, which represents 10 social welfare groups, agreed the dry-area policy should be abandoned.

"The consumption of alcohol in public places is not responsible for the overwhelming majority of alcohol-related offences in the city," she said.

"People consuming alcohol in licensed and private premises across the city also use the streets and public spaces."

Adelaide Day Centre for Homeless Persons chair Sister Janet Mead said: "The dry-area policy mostly affects and unfairly targets Aboriginal people, who are driven away from their traditional meeting grounds. It is racist."

AdelaideNow readers disagree and have said the policy is not racist.

Owen Long of Aberfoyle Park wrote: "Racist? Get a grip, there are idiots out there, black or white!"

The current dry area that bans drinking alcohol on city streets and in the squares expires in October 2011. The new city council must apply to the State Government for an extension by June 30.

Councillor David Plumridge said the council would consult the community before applying for an extension - but believed it would remain.

While Mr Plumridge said he once opposed it he now believed there was "some public benefit" to a dry area.

"It's not stopping people drinking in public, just allowing us to deal with it," he said.

Mr Plumridge called on the State Government to fund the alcohol abuse support services which it had to promised in 2001 when the dry area was first introduced to underpin the dry area policy.