Central Australian Indigenous communities may be asked to vote on alcohol bans. 

Ongoing issues and a dramatic spike in crime in the town of Alice Springs in the past six months have highlighted issues with the Northern Territory’s alcohol policies. 

Federal and Northern Territory governments have been working on solutions to the issue, after federal alcohol bans in a number of Northern Territory communities ended in July last year. 

Since then, several communities have opted to continue those bans through new laws passed by the territory's government. 

Now, the Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles says the territory's electoral commission may be asked to conduct ballots to gauge support for restrictions on alcohol, in communities where local decision-making on the issue has been contested.

“We have seen a number of communities opt in - they have made that local decision that they want to not have alcohol. Other community leadership we have consulted with have said, ‘we don't want to opt in, it's a legal product’,” she said.

“Yet you have people say, you didn't talk to the right person, you didn't consult the right person.

“And so that is why, there has been an idea for communities, if they wish, to take a ballot so everyone over 18 can have their voice heard on this issue.”

She ruled out a return to previous alcohol bans, which she has described as paternalistic, “race-based” and disregarding the wishes of local communities. 

Meanwhile, the mayors of Darwin, Katherine have called for NT-wide alcohol restrictions.