Booze for bush. Taxpayer helps.

By ERWIN CHLANDA

The NT Government is inviting tenders from consultants to develop Community Alcohol Plans (CAPs) designed to bring back booze to remote communities currently dry.

Early last year, the new interim alcohol protected areas (APAs) opt-out model came into effect across the Northern Territory.

It meant all communities are dry, and it is against the law to bring in, possess, consume, sell or supply alcohol in these areas.

But a community can have its interim APA revoked by submitting a CAP to the Director of Liquor Licensing.

It is a process the applicants will be assisted with by the consultants who "must have an ability to interpret, deliver and explain alcohol policy to a wide range of community members and be able to work, consult and deliver the requirement in remote settings some of which involve flying in single engine aircraft and/or driving long distances or dirt roads,” says the tender document.

The government says online the objective is “to reduce alcohol and related harms". The contracts will run for 18 months. The regions of the consultancies are East Arnhem, Barkly, Big Rivers, Top End, Darwin, Palmerston, Litchfield and Central Australia including Alice Springs.

The Liquor Regulations 2019 have been updated and now provide further guidance on CAP requirements, including how communities can show that the plans are supported.

For communities with a population over 50 people, the CAP must include: The total number of adults who are genuine permanent residents of the community, that is, they do not have another place of residence and the methods used to determine the total number of adults who reside in the community.

For communities with a population of 50 people or fewer, the CAP must include a list of adults whose principal place of residence is within the community and the signature from each adult showing their support of the plan, provided that this represents at least 60% of the eligible cohort.

The tender invitation nominate more than 40 “prospective tenderers” including major accountancy firms, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal NGOs, medical organisations, and small consultancy businesses.

PHOTO courtesy police who seized a large quantity of alcohol destined for remote communities on Saturday in three vehicles travelling together 30km south of Alice Springs. They carried 99 four litre casks of wine, 23 one litre bottles of spirits and 10 330ml premixed drinks. The three female drivers, aged 28, 35, and 55, were issued a notice to appear for August 15, 2024. The seized alcohol was destroyed.