Controversial changes to Top End bottleshop hours begin Monday

The government has revealed the revised opening hours for Top End bottleshops, and when they will begin. See the map of where.

New Top End bottleshop opening hours will kick in from Monday December 11, Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has confirmed.

Controversially flagged earlier this month after a request from NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy, Ms Fyles has signed a Section 88 declaration under the Liquor Act which will change bottleshop opening hours in Greater Darwin, Palmerston and parts of the Rural Area.

Monday to Friday trading hours for the purchase of takeaway alcohol in these districts will change from 10am to midday.

Weekends and public holidays will remain the same.

It’s understood bottleshops north of the Arnhem Highway will be impacted by the changes, meaning outlets in Humpty Doo and Virgina are excluded but Howard Springs and Coolalinga are in.

Hospitality NT chief executive Alex Bruce. Picture: Supplied.

The trial will be reviewed on January 25.

The changes drew fire from across the sector for its impact on bottleshop employees and lack of consultation.

It had already been a tough year for the sector with the March stabbing death of employee Declan Laverty, 20, at a Jingili bottleshop.

Hospitality NT chief executive Alex Bruce said Ms Fyles had promised the sector just days before the announcement that there would be no unsolicited changes to operating conditions in hospitality.

A map of the areas impacted by altered bottleshop operating hours. Picture: Supplied

A letter also found its way to the media in which Ms Fyles committed in writing in December 2022 stating NTG had “no intentions of altering your current business operating environments during this term of government”.

The backflip prompted a frustrated rebuke from Mr Bruce who said the change of heart showed the government was not prepared to act in good faith with industry.

“How is it the chief minister can say one thing in writing and then the actual delivery is completely at odds with what she said,” he said.

Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) NT director Shlok Sharma Picture: PEMA TAMANG Pakhrin

Shlok Sharma from the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association was also furious, slamming the government for potentially cutting up to 12-hours work for potentially hundreds of employees.

“Losing up to 12 hours of work will mean that retail workers will be worse off in the lead-up to Christmas,” Mr Sharma said.

Ms Fyles said the government wanted to curb alcohol related crime and thanked industry for working with it.

“We have great liquor retailers and bottle shop workers who work well with us as we try to curb alcohol related harm,” she said.

“Thank you for working with us as embark on this new policy setting.

“The Police Commissioner approached us and said he needed this trial to keep Territorians safe, and we have listened. We will review this at the end of January.”