The NT Police Association says it’s unlikely Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors will be brought into Darwin bottle shops to oversee new alcohol purchasing rules introduced last week, citing a lack of government resources.
A force of 75 police auxiliaries (PALIs) currently stand guard at the front of bottle shops in Alice Springs, Katherine and Tennant Creek – tasked with checking IDs and requesting information about where customers will be consuming their purchase.
But in Darwin, the responsibility will remain on licensees, which the police association says is because of a lack of police resources provided by the Gunner Government.
“Police Liquor Inspectors only operate in Alice Springs, Katherine and Tennant Creek and there is no scope to use them in Darwin without further funding by government,” NTPA President Paul McCue said.
Wages alone are estimated to cost more than $4 million annually for the small army of PALI’s currently working in the NT.
According to NT Police auxiliary information and application documents, each liquor inspector is paid at a base rate of auxiliary level three of $58,043 annually.
The NT Liquor Commission has still not made an official comment about the new restrictions in Darwin, which requires all purchasers to provide an address or not be served, choosing instead to provide carefully worded statements to a friendly media outlet.
It remains unclear how long the restrictions will remain in place, with the director of Liquor Licensing able to renew the measure every seven days with no explanation to the public required.
While the majority of Darwin residents have had no issue purchasing alcohol in the last week, some people without addresses on their IDs who can’t nominate a residence to drink at have been blocked from purchasing grog.
‘All of the risk now rests with licensees’, hospitality industry chief says
Despite welcoming the tough new restrictions aimed at stemming the flow of alcohol into remote communities across the Northern Territory, Hospitality NT chief executive Alex Bruce said the onus has been unfairly placed on licensees.
Speaking on Mix 104.9, Mr Bruce said there was no evidence the new powers were working and had been introduced “without any natural justice or due process”.
“All of the risk now rests with licencees,” he said.
“How experienced are we expecting our bottle shop attendees to be?
“I flagged last week that remote teachers and nurses get caught up in this when they traditionally have been buying from Darwin locations, even the public housing in and around Darwin and Palmerston – some of those can be flats with a per unit or per dwelling alcohol free permit.”
Drinking is strictly banned in some communities in the Northern Territory, while others have restrictions around the sale of alcohol. However, people who live in a “general restricted area” can apply for an individual liquor permit to drink alcohol in a place other than a licensed venue.
There are currently 95 restricted areas in the Northern Territory.
Police Association welcomes the restrictions
With a police force of around 1,550 across the Territory, Mr McCue said the new restrictions are a positive move “and should be supported”.
The NT Government has re-deployed around 120 police officers to the Territory’s borders to resource the response to COVID-19, a mission that has had a “huge impact” on the availability of police, Mr McCue said.
“Any restrictions which result in less alcohol into vulnerable communities is a positive move and should be supported” he said.
NT Police Association president Paul McCue
“The resultant reduction in alcohol-related harm is a positive outcome of measures of this nature.
“It also eases the significant police response required when large quantities of alcohol make their way into communities.”
The measures around alcohol sales were extended for a further seven days on Monday, and will be extended again if deemed to be necessary.
“Licensing, and the licensees themselves, should play a larger part in the control of alcohol into the community of the Northern Territory, given (the) significant negative impact it has in many locations,” Mr McCue said.
“The restrictions should be seen as a positive step in reducing alcohol-related harm, and providing a safer place for vulnerable members of our community.
“The issue of alcohol-related harm should be seen as not just a police issue, it is a larger health-related issue which requires a collective multi-agency response.”
Police recourse are better spent, and frankly far more lucrative for their political masters, by hiding on the side of the road and fining motorists for straying a few K’s over the speed limit as they go about their daily business.