No parma, no pint: Alice Springs hits pubs with strict mid-week, meal-only rules

Wednesday, 18 February 2026 08:51

Pubs will be only allowed to serve full-strength alcohol for just three-and-a-half hours a day.

Pubs in Alice Springs are facing a major shake-up from today, as the Northern Territory Liquor Commission imposes strict new limits on mid-week drinking in a bid to curb alcohol-related harm.

Under the new mandate, more than 20 pubs and bars across the town will only be permitted to serve full-strength alcohol between 11.30am and 3.00pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays - and only when accompanied by a "full meal."

The decision marks an escalation of the commission's strategy to tackle social issues in Central Australia, following the introduction of takeaway-free Mondays in early 2023.

The Todd Tavern in Alice Springs is one of 20 venues where the serving of alcohol will be further restricted.

However, the hospitality sector has labelled the blanket restrictions "unprecedented".

"It is one thing to vary the conditions for one licence," Cathy Simmonds, CEO of Hospitality NT, told the ABC.

"It is really unprecedented for the commission to add conditions for 20 in one go."

Simmonds also warned of the practical toll on workers, noting that the "inconsistency of the rules day to day" would require massive staff retraining.

She argued that alcohol sales have been trending downward since 2018 and that "most tourists and most Territorians drink responsibly."

Beyond the meal requirements, the commission has recommended that several prominent venues - including the Todd Tavern, The Rock Bar, Bojangles, and The Uncles - implement on-site ID systems.

These systems would allow staff to identify patrons under banning orders, though the rollout depends on the NT Government updating privacy and data-sharing legislation.

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