NT Liquor Commission needs to fix the real alcohol issues

THE Territory needs a common sense approach to alcohol, not an overzealous Liquor Commission

Alex Deutrom had plans for a new whiskey bar knocked back at the Liquor Commission. Picture: Keri Megelus

PICTURE this.

You get to the counter and go to scan your soy sauce, cough syrup, nail polish remover and a number of other items.

Beep goes the machine and an attendant is called over.

‘I’m sorry maam, we’re going to need you to use a manned counter so we can scan your ID.’

This is the ridiculous threat that was handed out by the acting director of licencing at Licencing NT this week.

SOY sauce sales blocked by BDR

Sally Ozolins, acting in the role until the new Liquor Act comes out at the start of October, decided to go against 40-plus years of interpretation of the current Liquor Act, and send out a letter to all retailers reminding them of the rules.

In this, she argued: “any product which contains ethyl alcohol that is sold in a container over 50ml by volume and which contains over 1.15 per cent of ethyl alcohol must only be sold or offered for sale with the authority of a liquor licence, including any requirement to store such products in a designated area”.

But this is not what the Liquor Act had ever intended, at least according to the Attorney General (and every common sense talking person ever).

Instead, it meant beverages which almost every dictionary defines as a liquid you intend to drink.

Retail Drinks Australia quickly argued with the Commission, eventually coming to the agreed solution that the act did, in fact, mean beverages and that no, soy sauce was not an intended restricted substance.

The fact that this argument had to happen at all is beyond nonsensical.

The amount of comments and letters this newspaper alone has received shows no one in their right mind would drink soy sauce with the intent to get drunk.

And not only that, but now people are aware of the alcohol content where previously they would have had no idea.

It’s not the first bizarre choice the NT Liquor Commission has made lately.

A would-be business owner was last week left devastated when his hopes for a speakeasy whisky bar were dashed after the Liquor Commission got a hold of the plans.

THE reason why the whiskey bar was knocked back

Alex Deutrom’s application for a liquor licence was submitted in February. After five long months he finally received his answer.

Despite no objections from NT Police, the Department of Health, or Darwin Council, the NT Liquor Commission had rejected it, over concerns with the locations of the toilets, the financial viability and the reputation of the business.

It drew into question how far reaching the Liquor Commission’s reach could go.

Could it really overrule decisions that surely should be made by the Development Consent Authority?

Could it tell business owners and banks that they probably wouldn’t be able to manage their money well and therefore shouldn’t have a liquor licence?

Yes, according to its decision (which can be read in full on ntnews.com.au), it could.

But should it be able to?

Many people, including Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis, don’t believe so. “I know the commission is very sensitive about alcohol but I don’t understand why they are so concerned about the financial viability of the business,” he said.

AMAZING OFFER: Subscribe to the NT News online for just $1 a week (min $4)

“I’m worried these knock backs will make people think twice before they try to start a new business in Darwin.”

Kon is right. It’ll definitely make Alex Deutrom reconsider whether to start a new business here and anyone else reading through past decisions could definitely be deterred.

The Territory has a problem with alcohol and it needs a government body trying to deal with that.

It does not need an overzealous Liquor Commission making farsical decisions to justify its own creation.

Originally published as NT Liquor Commission needs to fix the real alcohol issues