Palmerston Council object to liquor application in booze-free shopping centre

A LIQUOR application to bring a grog shop to Oasis shopping centre has been knocked back by a firm Palmerston council who see too much anti-social behaviour as a result of alcohol

The Oasis Shopping Centre in Palmerston does not have a bottle shop.

A LIQUOR application to bring a grog shop to Oasis shopping centre has been knocked back by a firm Palmerston council due to too much alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour.

The application would have seen a Liquorland, previously in Berrimah Supermarket, moved to the Oasis shopping centre where a BWS outlet operated for two decades.

However council objected to the application on grounds it “will adversely affect the amenity of the neighbourhood where the premises the subject of the application are or will be located, or health, education, public safety or social conditions in the community”, under section 47F (2) of the Liquor Act.

Alderman Sarah Henderson heads the Palmerston Seniors Advisory Group and said Oasis had become a safe place for them to shop because it didn’t have a bottle shop.

“With all the seniors of Palmerston, they were all terrified but somebody said to them ‘go to Oasis at five in the afternoon and you can do your shopping without having drunks fall all over you’ so that’s where they go now … it’s a dream to shop there,” she said.

“If you go and put another liquor outlet in there, where are they going to go, they’re all terrified to shop.”

Alderman Damian Hale agreed with Ms Henderson and said council needed to clarify its policy, rather than create more avenues to booze.

“I think currently the way the community is … we’ve got enough alcohol outlets. I don’t think we need any more,” he said. “The broader issue around alcohol is something we need to continue to talk about and have a common position so we can’t be accused of having a double standard.”

Elected members were also concerned over the fact they hadn’t seen a community impact statement from the applicant, which according to the agenda, they had requested but were told by Licensing NT to “request this (in writing to the Director-General of Licensing”.

The Department of the Attorney-General yesterday told the NT News the Community Impact Assessment would ordinarily be available but they had not received a request.

Palmerston chief executive Luccio Cercarelli said council was looking into a policy to better regulate licences and other alcohol-related concerns in Palmerston.

MORE >> DOB-IN-A-DRUNK PLAN TO TACKLE ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR IN DARWIN AND PALMERSTON

MORE >> BABYLON BERLIN READY TO SERVE BEERS JUST WAITING FOR A LIQUOR LICENSE