12 votes

Woolworths set to build one of Australia's biggest liquor stores near dry Darwin Aboriginal communities

Posted by Happy_Shredder
Tags: australia, alcohol, aboriginal australians, indigenous peoples, retail, woolworths, author.lorena allam
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/nov/13/woolworths-set-to-build-one-of-australias-biggest-liquor-stores-near-dry-darwin-aboriginal-communities

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Authors
Lorena Allam
Published
Nov 13 2020
Word count
927 words

7 comments

  1. [2]
    thundergolfer
    Link
    I can imagine the banality of the corporate machinations that led to this happening. Dozens of people participated in a business move that is very likely to damage the community's health by...

    I can imagine the banality of the corporate machinations that led to this happening. Dozens of people participated in a business move that is very likely to damage the community's health by selling harmful drugs for profit, and it probably seemed totally boring and fine over at the Woolworths Group offices.

    Alcohol is socially normalised to such an extent that the target community can expend considerable energy pushing back against this new store but it's not close to enough for the Woolworths bureaucracy to have an "are we the baddies?" moment.

    13 votes
    1. mrbig
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      I have nothing against normalizing alcohol (even though I don’t drink myself). Prohibition only gave us great gangster films. Glorifying it is another story. But yeah, this seems like a dick move....

      I have nothing against normalizing alcohol (even though I don’t drink myself). Prohibition only gave us great gangster films. Glorifying it is another story.

      But yeah, this seems like a dick move.

      Here in Brazil alcoholism is a huge problem near native communities.

      7 votes
  2. [5]
    big_ol_floppy_dicks
    Link
    There is a relevant piece of information which seems to be excluded from all of the stories about this. There are already alcohol shops operating closer to the communities than the proposed site.

    There is a relevant piece of information which seems to be excluded from all of the stories about this. There are already alcohol shops operating closer to the communities than the proposed site.

    6 votes
    1. [4]
      cfabbro
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      That seems to directly contradict some of the information in the article, e.g. the law having had to be changed in NT to allow Woolworths to do this, and liquor commission members threatening to...

      That seems to directly contradict some of the information in the article, e.g. the law having had to be changed in NT to allow Woolworths to do this, and liquor commission members threatening to resign because of it.

      So, [citation needed] for your claim.

      2 votes
      1. [3]
        Deimos
        Link Parent
        The article includes a quote that mentions that the proposed location is on Bagot Road and Osgood Drive. Here's a "search nearby" from that location for "liquor store" on Google Maps:...

        The article includes a quote that mentions that the proposed location is on Bagot Road and Osgood Drive. Here's a "search nearby" from that location for "liquor store" on Google Maps: https://i.imgur.com/xGLVn5P.png

        All of those are inside a 10 minute drive, the three Winnellie ones to the south aren't even 5 minutes, and that's only the first page of 20 results, there are more. I also see a brewpub about a 5 minute walk from the location, and some brewing supply stores near there too.

        So I don't know whether other stores are closer than this one would be, but there does seem to be plenty of alcohol in the area already.

        7 votes
        1. cfabbro
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          Thanks for looking into it! And using a similar search, all the pins that I checked do indeed appear to be businesses selling liquor, beer, and/or wine in Darwin. And pics on google business of...

          Thanks for looking into it! And using a similar search, all the pins that I checked do indeed appear to be businesses selling liquor, beer, and/or wine in Darwin. And pics on google business of both Liquorland and Thirsty Camel Bottleshop (which is even closer to the Bagot Reserve than the proposed Dan Murphy would have been) in that area clearly show rather large selections of liquor being sold in them.

          So WTF is going on here, why are none of the news sources (even AU ones) mentioning that fact, and why are people suddenly up in arms over Woolworths/Dan Murphy coming to town but not these other already preexisting liquor selling businesses? :/

          4 votes
        2. Happy_Shredder
          Link Parent
          That's an interesting observation, thanks. I think the point is the Bagot, Minmarama and Kulaluk communities don't want another one, even closer (within walking distance).

          That's an interesting observation, thanks. I think the point is the Bagot, Minmarama and Kulaluk communities don't want another one, even closer (within walking distance).

          1 vote