$1000 bottles: The insane price of grog in Wadeye

A Wadeye worker has defended alcohol restrictions as tensions remain high a week after full-strength alcohol was banned. Read what happened.

A Wadeye contractor has defended the introduction of tough grog measures in the stricken community as political battlelines are drawn on minimising alcohol-related crime.

Contractor Tony Shephard said the decision to introduce alcohol volume limits and ban full-strength booze from Wadeye was a matter for the community to determine.

The new rules, applying to hundreds of alcohol permit holders working and living in the community, were introduced on March 1.

He said the decision was taken because contractors were bringing alcohol to the community and selling it to residents.

He had heard anecdotally that bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label whiskey were selling for as much as $1000 a bottle in Wadeye.

Acknowledging there was no consultation with alcohol permit holders on the community, Mr Shephard said workers understand they are expected to follow the rules in Wadeye as applied by Traditional Owners.

Gerard Maley said the Government’s grog bans target the wrong people. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“What the community decides is entirely a matter for them,” Mr Shephard said.

“Contractors were selling black market alcohol out here.

“At the end of the day this is their community and land. If Traditional Owners decide the liquor licenses need to be changed then obviously they need to address that.”

Mr Shephard said two prospective employees to his road contracting and civil works business had pulled-out prior to travelling to Wadeye – one who didn’t have an alcohol permit, and another who drank only heavy beer.

“We’ll just work with what we’ve got,” he said. “We will look for alternative workers and find people who will work for the betterment of the community.”

Wadeye’s largest contractor Thamarrurr Development Corporation criticised a lack of consultation around the grog changes and said it could impact recuritment to the community.

Opposition alcohol policy spokesman Gerard Maley said Labor had a history of changing grog rules without consultation and of missing their intended targets when they applied grog bans.

“Labor have a track record of changing liquor restrictions without consultation,” he said. “Recently, Territory workers had their hours cut when Labor made the snap decision to cut bottle shop hours in Darwin. Wadeye permit holders are the latest to have their conditions changed without consultation.

Police Minister Brent Potter is standing by Wadeye grog bans despite a failure to consult. Picture: Fia Walsh

“I have written to the Minister for Alcohol Policy seeking more information on whether the Government did undertake consultation and details on why the permits were changed in Wadeye.

“Labor only focus on supply not demand, which punishes those doing the right thing, not those doing the wrong thing. Punishing people working in remote areas makes it less attractive to work in these communities and is another hit to our local economy.

“Unlike Labor, the CLP is committed to tackling problem drinking through compulsory alcohol treatment and direct investment in community drug and alcohol programs.”

Alcohol Policy Minister Brent Potter is unapologetic, saying the bans were sparked by a single secondary supply incident.

“The Northern Territory Government will be making no apologises for addressing and tackling alcohol-related harm and anti-social behaviour,” he said.

“Following a spate of secondary supply incidents causing harm to the community and leading to one person being charged with secondary supply late last month, Licencing NT reviewed, consulted and changed alcohol restrictions in the community of Wadeye.”

A Wadeye man appeared in Darwin Local Court last week on secondary supply charges. The matter was adjourned.