Northern Territory Liquor Legislation Amendment (Fast Track Approvals) Bill 2026 Inquiry

In March 2026, the NT Legislative Assembly referred the Liquor Legislation Amendment (Fast Track Approvals) Bill 2026 to the NT Legislative Scrutiny Committee for a rushed inquiry, seeking submissions within just one week. In the Bill, the NT Government did not give sufficient regard to the right to health, or to the ‘consultation’ process on the Bill. The Bill would likely contribute to preventable harm in the Northern Territory community.

Were this Bill to pass, it would remove the requirement for some License Applications to be assessed against the public interest test, which includes criteria like ‘minimising harm or ill-health caused to people’, and ‘safeguarding public order and safety’. Most problematic is the Bill’s use of a flawed ‘Low Risk’ definition. Whilst the Bill is framed as moving more towards a risk-based approach, its changes remove regulatory oversight from ‘lower risk’ applications, and it does nothing to improve harm minimisation measures for ‘higher risk’ licenses.

The Bill provides the Director with some discretion to overrule this flawed ‘Low Risk’ exemption, if they consider it to be in the public interest. However, the Director is not provided with any criteria to make such a determination, meaning there is no visibility to the community about this decision-making.

Summary of recommendations

1. The Liquor Legislation Amendment (Fast Track Approvals) Bill 2026 should not be passed by the Legislative Assembly.
2. Focus Liquor Act reforms on reducing harm and implementing the recommendations of the Rapid Review and National Cabinet commitment.
3. Engage in a genuine community consultation process with adequate timeframes for community groups to respond prior to any changes to the Liquor Act.
4. Retain the current requirements in the Liquor Act for public interest and community impact assessment, for NTCAT and Commission reviews and for public notice.
5. Resource independent support for members of the public, to navigate and engage with liquor license application processes. Include engagement with all relevant stakeholders.