NT leaves door wide open for drink-driving skippers
Territory government says it won’t consider blood alcohol limits for boat drivers until a future inquiry into marine safety – if it ever happens – kicks offNorthern Territory skippers will still be able to drive unregistered boats under the influence of alcohol after the territory’s administration announced over the weekend it would officially place both in the too-hard basket.
“The Territory Labor Government has decided to defer the introduction of a blood alcohol limit on Territory vessels,” a statement released on the weekend by Attorney-General Natasha Fyles said.
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“The government is also ruling out a licencing or registration regime for Territory boats.”
Instead, Fyles said a blood alcohol limit for skippers “may now be considered as part of a future maritime safety agenda”.
Fyles said the decision to continue to allow NT’s boaters to drink and drive was “one part” of an update to the Michael Gunner-led government’s Alcohol Harm Minimisation Plan that aims to crack down on alcohol abuse.
Alcohol review
The move to exclude on-water alcohol testing comes in defiance of the 2017 Riley Review of the Territory’s alcohol laws that called for sweeping changes to the administration’s laws to classify boats as a vehicle – the one thing that has stopped NT Police from randomly testing skippers on the water.
Fyles said the decision came after consultation with groups such as the Amateur Fishermen's Association of the Northern Territory – a recreational fishing lobby group that in the past has come out in support of introducing on-water breath testing but not drink-driving restrictions – and the Northern Territory Seafood Council, which represents the NT seafood industry’s interests.
“In consultation with groups such as AFANT and the Seafood Council, we have decided to defer the introduction of a blood-alcohol limit for skippers,” Fyles said.
“We feel it is logical to consider this change in light of a broader approach to maritime safety.”
The move means that, unlike boat registrations, the government is still open to the idea of introducing alcohol restrictions for boaties at some stage – just not yet.
NT Police has been contacted for comment.
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