Brand on line
But drunken and anti-social behaviour must be tackled with some compassion
Alcoholism is not a moral failing and for most homelessness is not a choice. Having a problem with booze is a mental health issue, a psychological disorder and is about managing an unease with self. Broaching an escalating issue of drunken and anti-social behaviour in the CBD ought not to be done without compassion for those that have fallen through the cracks. Those that perhaps daily confront the trauma of abusive homes growing up or struggle with untreatable foetal alcohol syndrome or those that have simply given up on themselves and unconsciously seek a slow death at the bottom of a bottle.
But fair go: As argued by Splash Seafood owner Megan McKay who reckons diners ought to be able to enjoy a coral trout and nice bottle of wine, free of homeless people washing their arses on the Esplanade. The real issue is the millions of dollars invested in combating drunken behaviour that has failed to improve a desperate situation city traders are now saying is damaging Cairns’ international reputation.
In 2020 Labor pledged $6m over four years to deliver services. In the same year a further $4m was pledged to add 14 beds to the Lyons St Diversionary Centre, which have at long last come online this week. And the spend on police resources, council CCTV, security patrols and outreach services is mind boggling. A reactionary approach to the issue so far has involved reports to police, who attend the scene (if available) pour out a small quantity of grog while the bulk is stashed nearby to drink later. Intoxicated people are taken to the drunk tank to sober up but often return to the city the next morning to drink booze hidden the night before or get more from one of the seven bottle shops between the Cairns Esplanade and Bunda St. Surely this is the elephant in the room. The surge in CBD drunkenness this year coincided with a recent overhaul of the NT’s Banned Drinker Register and in February Mayor Bob Manning joined other Queensland mayors who advocated for the scheme to be extended locally.
Taking booze from an alcoholic will never get them sober but it’s a good chance of improving the situation in the city. Peter Carruthers - reporter