Decision due on Darwin’s Dan Murphy’s superstore by December 20 as laws come into effect
Territorians will find out if a Dan Murphy’s can open in Darwin days before Christmas, after controversial new grog shop licensing laws came into effect on Friday.
Northern Territory
Don't miss out on the headlines from Northern Territory. Followed categories will be added to My News.
TERRITORIANS will find out if a Dan Murphy’s can open in Darwin days before Christmas, after controversial new grog shop licensing laws came into effect on Friday.
Urgent changes to the Liquor Act were rushed through NT parliament last week in a bid to effectively circumvent the independent Liquor Commission’s rulings and result in a decision, once and for all, on the future of four longstanding grog shop applications, including Dan Murphy’s.
MORE:
The NT government has confirmed those laws were royally assented by Territory administrator the Honourable Vicki O’Halloran on November 19 and came into effect on Friday.
This means the Director of Liquor Licensing, armed with sweeping new powers, must hand down a decision within 30 days and isn’t required to consider community impact, despite having the authority to allow the applicants to move where they want the store to go and vary conditions on the licence.
The NT News has confirmed the 30 day time frame includes weekends and public holidays, which makes the deadline Sunday, December 20.
Territorians may never find out the reasons behind the decisions as there is no requirement for the director to publicly release their deliberations.
It may not be the end of the road for those four grog shop applications as the decisions can be taken to the Supreme Court.
The four grog license applications that will be decided on are the Dan Murphy’s superstore near Darwin Airport, the reinstatement of takeaway alcohol sales in the Tiwi Islands community of Pirlangimpi, an application by Liquorland Pty Ltd to set up shop at Oasis Palmerston Shopping Centre and a proposed takeaway alcohol outlet in Durack.
The laws have created a rift between the government and the Liquor Commission, with chair Richard Coates describing the move as a kick in the guts and revealing last week that he and other members of the commission’s 15-person board had considered resigning.
Apart from handing significant power over to one bureaucrat, the new laws also remove the requirement for “natural justice”, or in other words, procedural fairness.
Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro has described removing this “fundamental part of our entire legal system” as an “extraordinary step” that was “so rare”.
OFFER EXTENDED: Amazing NT News subscription offer: Read everything for $1
“Natural justice is about right of reply, fairness, having a fair hearing, a fair opportunity. Why did the government feel it was so necessary to remove the rules of natural justice from this provision, particularly given we are dealing with such a small number of applicants?” she said.
Originally published as Decision due on Darwin’s Dan Murphy’s superstore by December 20 as laws come into effect
Mental health flags for woman who allegedly stabbed three people on bus
A young woman who allegedly stabbed three people with scissors amid a mental health crisis could be locked up in the hospital, rather than a prison cell, amid urgent local court battle.
Serious fire which threatened Alice Springs suburb ‘under investigation’
Authorities say a grass fire which threatened residents and homes in an Alice Springs suburb is now ‘under investigation’. Read the latest.