Alcohol management plans in Indigenous Australia

Alcohol Management Plans (AMPs) have become an important Australian government policy response to the harms caused by alcohol in Australian communities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been central to the development of AMPs, being first developed and implemented in many communities throughout northern Australia. However, there has been very little research associated with documenting the effectiveness of the AMP approach, nor has there been research into the appropriate implementation and evaluation frameworks necessary for such approach to be evidence-based.

This project sought to develop an evidence base for AMPs as an appropriate policy framework to respond to the harms associated with alcohol misuse. Through an in-depth case study within the Jilkminggan Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory (NT), this study also sought to understand ‘best practices’ in the implementation and evaluation of AMPs in community contexts. Research in such community contexts is essential to understanding appropriate frameworks for the development of AMP implementation strategies.

The project team included high profile and internationally recognised alcohol researchers and provides a strong knowledge partnership between researchers at the University of Melbourne and the Jilkminggan Aboriginal Corporation in the NT.