The almost $9m plan is specific for Darwin, the Northern Suburbs and Palmerston.

The government says the five-point plan will deliver a suite of measures to make our streets, homes and businesses safer and get more people back on track to stop anti-social behaviour.

As part of the plan three new “pathway” centres will be established modelled on the Katherine Doorways Hub at the Salvation Army.

The five-point plan is:

1)   Easier Reporting for Residents and Businesses

We are making it easy for people to report anti-social behaviour by delivering an extensive information campaign for households and businesses. For the five-point plan to work all incidents should be reported to the Police hotline on 131 444.

Work is also underway to develop mobile app and SMS reporting tools.

*The App/SMS service is expected to be ready early in 2019.

2)   Visible Policing and Safer Public Spaces

NT Police are tackling anti-social behaviour and problem drinking through a strong visible presence and targeted campaigns. This includes foot patrols, segways, mobile caravans, marked vans and dog patrols. Police are also developing a strategy with industry, service providers and NGOs which may include more CCTV (working closely with the Switching On Darwin project currently underway in Darwin CBD) and better information sharing.

3)   Four additional Larrakia Nation Day Patrol vehicles

The Larrakia Day Patrol will increase to five vehicles (from one), 10 staff, and operate for more hours and across a bigger area (Darwin City, Northern Suburbs and Palmerston).  It will now operate from 5am to 4pm (when the existing Night Patrol starts).

The service helps relocate people to their home community (through the Territory Connect program) or rehabilitation support such as the Sobering Up Shelter.

 *Two new Day Patrol vehicles will start next week. The remaining two, the week after.

4)   Sobering Up Shelter now 24-hours

To support the extended Day Patrol, the Mission Australia-operated Sobering Up Shelter will now operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

This will ensure people who need help with alcohol addiction can access the support they need at any time.  

*The Shelter extends to 24-hours next week (1 November).

5)   Programs to get more people get back on track

Providing support to people who are sleeping rough – or those at risk of becoming homeless – is important to tackle antisocial behaviour.

•     Better Pathway Centres

Three new Centres will be established in Darwin city, Northern Suburbs and Palmerston, to co-locate a range of support including onsite case workers, referral services (like Territory Connect) and hygiene / laundry facilities to give people pathways out of sleeping rough. These Centres will be modelled on the successful Katherine Doorways Hub, providing an innovative and pro-active approach to tackling antisocial behaviour.

*In partnership with community/service providers, the first Centre will open in Darwin CBD early 2019. The other two are expected to open later in 2019.

•     Temporary short term accommodation

There is a lack of short-term accommodation and we are identifying and funding three options in Darwin CBD, Northern Suburbs and Palmerston to keep people off the streets.  

*The number of beds at the Darwin YMCA will increase in the near future. The two other locations will be identified and have community consultation within 12 months.

The 5-point Plan is for Darwin and Palmerston.

In Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine 75 police auxiliary liquor inspectors will be based at the front of bottle shops.

This is part of the Territory Labor Government’s historic liquor reforms to address the rates of alcohol fuelled crime and violence on our streets.

Katherine is expected to receive its first alcohol inspectors early next year.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said: “Antisocial behaviour has been an issue in Darwin and Palmerston for decades, and Territorians have had a gutful. We have listened to business and the community and our five-point plan is the most significant suite of measures in our history to tackle this issue.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe and our plan to fix anti-social behaviour will get people off the street and back on the right track. We are investing an additional $8.9 million in a five-point plan that will make a difference - both in the short and long term."

Deputy Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro said: “It is about time Labor turned its focus to crime and anti-social behaviour, and started addressing the concerns of hardworking Territory business people and the wider community.

“It is disgraceful that the government has decided after more two years that finally, it should implement measures to combat the antisocial behaviour.

“So far government has spent two years tinkering around the edges with its anti-business approach like its derelict building tax and shade structures rather than addressing antisocial behaviour.

“We would expect that this is a wide ranging and well-resourced plan, that includes immediate and longer term measures including coordination with service providers and NGOs for timely interventions.

“As a minimum, the Opposition’s plan would include better lighting and monitored CCTV, a well-resourced Police Force, compulsory treatment and rehabilitation for those with a chronic alcohol problem and a coordinated approach with service providers. 

“The government needs to act now to ensure service providers are resourced to assist people who want to get back to their communities.

“I call on the government to advise Territorians of its plans for sobering up shelters, following completion of the Price Waterhouse Coopers review, which was commissioned last financial year.”

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