Dan’s to host open house with sneak peek of new store

Dan Murphy’s parent company Endeavour Drinks will host an ‘open house’ event in the Smith Street Mall on Wednesday and Thursday this week, with both the concerned and the curious welcome to attend.

Dan Murphy’s parent company Endeavour Drinks will host an “open house” event in the Smith Street Mall on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

DAN Murphy’s parent company Endeavour Drinks will host an “open house” event in the Smith Street Mall on Wednesday and Thursday this week, with both the concerned and the curious welcome to attend.

Endeavour’s head of external affairs and sustainability, Julie Ryan, said the open house would feature displays of what the proposed Dan Murphy’s would look like both inside and outside the store as well as their planned measures for the responsible service of alcohol.

Ms Ryan said, while the display would help Darwinites understand the potential advantages of the proposal, including increased range and job creation, it was also an opportunity for those opposed to the plan to have their voices heard.

“There are a large number of groups that have been very vocal in saying that they believe we haven’t consulted with them in relation to this store,” she said.

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“Most of those groups are still refusing to meet with us so we are doing everything we can to show that we’re trying to listen and we hope that they take the opportunity up.

“We’re here, the doors will be open, so we hope they take the opportunity to allow us to listen and we hope to listen to us too.”

Endeavour’s owner, Woolworths, has said no work would begin on the site before a review of the consultation process by an independent panel — due to be finalised by April — and Ms Ryan said the company was keen to keep engaging with locals.

“We have always been clear that we are committed to engaging extensively with the people of Darwin and local organisations in order to understand and try to address their concerns and that this consultation commitment will be continuous throughout the store’s operation,” she said.

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Ms Ryan said the proposed store would have “the most stringent set of alcohol control policies anywhere in the country”.

“We are looking forward to taking locals through our current self-imposed restrictions in the NT and our above and beyond voluntary measures for the proposed Dan Murphy’s store,” she said.

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