Woolworths is being criticised for divisive tactics during its push to build a new liquor store in Darwin near dry Indigenous communities.
Aboriginal leaders and community leaders have spent five years campaigning to "Stop the Build" of the Dan Murphy's superstore.
Indigenous health expert John Paterson, the chief executive at the Northern Territory Medical Service Alliance, said the construction, led by Woolworth’s subsidiary Endeavour Group, has divided the community.
“To me personally, it reminds me of the colonisers of this country,” he told SBS News.
"It’s wedging Aboriginal groups against each other. This is the game that they’re good at, big corporates, they love it, and we’re calling on them to cease it.
“Take a social conscience in all of this and listen to the Aboriginal leadership here in the Northern Territory and withdraw your application now.”
Alcohol consumption is higher in the Northern Territory than any other jurisdiction in Australia.
The proposed location of the Dan Murphy’s is near three dry indigenous communities including Bagot. Source: Aneeta Bhole
The Territory also holds the highest proportion of alcohol related deaths and hospitalisations - with a third of its resident’s victims of alcohol related abuse in 2019.
Endeavour Group said it would not sell cask or fortified wines, high-alcohol cider or high-strength RTDs and will adhere to the Banned Drinkers Register - with every customer required to have a "legitimate address" to consume alcohol.
But Mr Paterson, who represents one of more than 30 groups opposed to the store, said there’s only "one way to deal" with the issue.
“Deal with the effect of the implementation of those measures they’re sprouting, withdraw the application, then we won’t have to worry about any of those other measures,” he said.
“We’ve already got them in, we’ve started to make some good traction working with the NT government around alcohol measures we currently have.”
The site for the store was originally planned to be built near three dry Indigenous communities, Bagot, Minmarama Park and Kulaluk.
The newly proposed location is now 1.4 kilometres from the original site.
In a video provided by Endeavour Group, Helen Secretary - the chairperson of the Gwalwa Daraniki Association that administers the Kulaluk and Minmarama Park communities - can be seen supporting the construction of the Dan Murphy’s.
When asked for an interview, Ms Secretary told SBS News to refer to the video for her comment again adding that the GDA support the construction of Dan Murphy’s.
The group had previously been opposed to the construction - but said they’ve reconsidered their opposition since the relocation of the site and the consideration of pedestrian safety.
“We support Dan Murphy,” said Ms Secretary.
“While I feel that the people from the rest of Australia are objecting this, they have no right to speak for us.
“These are our lands, Darwin is Larakia land, and we are the Traditional Owners of this land and we have our own voice.”
However, some community elders in Darwin’s largest dry Indigenous community, Bagot, told SBS News they remain in opposition.
Endeavour’s head of external affairs Julie Ryan said the company had been at pains to listen to the community. Source: SBS News
Endeavour has been holding community forums in Darwin’s city centre but said they’ve been in contact with the three dry Indigenous communities for years.
“When we set up a store, what we do is listen to local community,” Endeavour’s head of external affairs Julie Ryan told SBS News.
“We appreciate a number of people around Australia have expressed a view based on the info that they have been provided to date, but they’ve also been told that the three community groups are in opposition but they’re not.
“Two of those groups have been supportive for many years now.”
In a letter provided by the Endeavour Group to SBS News, dated July 24th 2018, and addressed to the Bagot and Kulaluk community and Danila Dilba, the groups are "encouraged to provide feedback."
“We write to you to provide information about the application to substitute a packaged liquor licence (the Licence) for Darwin’s first Dan Murphy’s store (Application),” it reads.
“Woolworths Group Ltd (Woolworths) as the applicant for the Licence understands that the Application may raise concerns for Bagot and Kulaluk Aboriginal Communities located nearby the site.
“The purpose of this letter is to provide information about the application and to invite discussion and open dialogue with the relevant community stakeholders in relation to their concerns and how such concerns might be addressed.”
Mr Paterson said "it’s not about talking to the messenger" after opposing groups boycott the latest open forum.
“We don’t want to talk to a PR subsidiary of Woolworths and our preference is to meet with the Woolworths review panel,” he said.
He added that claims that there had been ongoing consultation between community members and Endeavour Group was a "lie".
“What I call community consultation is bringing together a whole range of community representatives, not this one-on-one meetings with no record keeping,” he said.
“I’m very disappointed with the representative from Endeavour Group saying there was ongoing consultation meetings that they had with community organisations over the past five years.
“That is totally porky pies, lies at its best, the first time we had contact with the Endeavour group was when the liquor commission opposed the application to the liquor licenses … and then [after being given the green light].”
Endeavour Group said no construction will take place until an independent review of the consultation process is complete.
The results of the review are expected to be released in March.
