Perte Therre follows Itchy Koo Park’s steps as General Restricted Area declared

Months after a Red Centre community performed legal gymnastics in order to drink in their own homes, a neighbouring community has now done the same – declaring a dry zone, while still able to have a beer. Find out more.

Perte Therre from Larapinta Drive, west of Alice Springs. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Another Red Centre community has gone dry, but can still drink – following in the footsteps of a neighbouring community, which had a precedent decision delivered in its favour months ago.

On August 22, the Northern Territory Liquor Commission declared Perte Therre – roughly 26kms outside of Alice Springs – an alcohol general restricted area (GRA) for the next 99 years.

The community, located off of Larapinta Dr, is now subject to the same conditions as Itchy Koo Park, where residents can still drink alcohol if they have a permit – despite the declaration stipulating alcohol is prohibited in the community.

Russell Goldflam

The Liquor Commission decision, delivered by chairperson Russell Goldflam, was made after an August 7 hearing, held jointly in Alice Springs and Darwin.

In the decision notes, Mr Goldflam said the sole residents of Perte Therre were traditional owners, with all but one of the residents having permits allowing them to bring in and consume alcohol within the community.

Troy Erlandson made the GRA application on behalf of the community on March 15, the decision said, with the application supported by four traditional owners.

The community – which has six adult residents, according to the decision notes – “is very rarely visited by anyone who has not been invited”, the decision states.

“The commission is comfortably satisfied that it is in the public interest to declare the GRA, the primary practical effect of which will simply be to enable Perte Therre residents to continue to lawfully use alcohol,” the decision states.

Top: The front of the Perte Therre community. Bottom: the GRA for Perte Therre

Perte Therre residents also submitted a community alcohol plan, which the Liquor Commission said was “fit for purpose and thoughtfully formulated”.

“If the declaration were not made, the interim alcohol protected area would continue, and the Perte Therre traditional owners and other residents would justifiably feel frustrated and disempowered,” the decision states.

“The beneficial impact of the GRA should not however be overstated: in practical terms, the making of the declaration will have little if any effect on the daily life of Perte Therre residents.”

The Liquor Commission declared Itchy Koo Park a GRA on June 19, ending nine months of legal limbo for the community.

The Itchy Koo park decision allows communities which have relied on alcohol permits in order to consume alcohol to continue to do so by declaring the area a GRA.

Speaking to this masthead a the time of the decision, Itchy Koo resident Aaron Campbell said residents got no further privileges because of the Liquor Commission’s ruling.

“The only legal avenue for us to maintain (the status quo) was to get the area declared as a (GRA) and then apply for ourselves to have permits,” he said.

“It was a lot of work, unfortunately, just to maintain the status quo – we’ve not received anything more than we currently get.”