A year after a ban on selling cask wine was lifted in Mossman, incidences of crimes such as assault have increased dramatically according to Mossman Police.

In 2010 licensed premises agreed to a trial that prohibited the sale of cask wine which was linked to cases of assault in the town.

The ban ran from 1 April 2010 and was lifted on 18 February 2011, and Mossman Police Officer in Charge, Ed Lukin, said that the trial proved very successful in reducing crime.

"Initially I was aware that they had a cask wine ban in Cairns, and I decided to try and implement this to try and curb assaults and public nuisance offences.

"We had a meeting with licensees and I wanted a six-month ban but they agreed to a one-month ban, which was extended, and it showed immediate results."

In comparison to the same period a year earlier (1 April 2009 to 18 February 2010) assaults decreased from 51 down to 28, a reduction of 46%.

Figures taken from the first five months of the ban showed "offences against people," which includes assault, were down from 30 during the corresponding period in the previous year to 14, a decrease of 53%.

After the ban was lifted incidents increased by 114% according to police records.

"The chairman of the (Mossman) Gorge community seemed to indicate that what the cask wine ban did was stop people drinking in large groups," Sergeant Lukin said.

"During the cask wine ban people would still buy alcohol but drink it on their own and commit public nuisance offences (which statistically stayed the same) but it wouldn't lead to the assaults in a large group environment.

"I would like to see the cask wine ban back in but I can understand the licensees had a few sticking points with it."

Sergeant Lukin said the figures released were verified by statistically services, however are not classified as official until they are published in an annual review document.     

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