A parliamentary question addresses concerns about bulk alcohol deliveries to Oombulgurri and seeks the Minister's response regarding potential actions under the Local Government Act to control alcohol flow, or plans to make it a dry community.

AnsweredQoN 817Legislative Council
Asked
25 September 2007
Portfolio
Local Government

QuestionView source ↗

OOMBULGURRI COMMUNITY - BULK ALCOHOL CHARTER FLIGHTS 817. Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY to the Minister for Local Government: I refer to the reports that up to eight flights a week are being chartered to take bulk supplies of alcohol to the community of Oombulgurri near Wyndham. (1) When was the minister first made aware that bulk supplies of alcohol were being flown into the community? (2) The police agreement provides that limited-strength alcohol can be brought into the community on three days each week. Does the minister have any plans to make Oombulgurri a dry community? (3) If not, what action under the Local Government Act will the minister take to halt the flow of alcohol into the community? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH

AnswerView source ↗

(1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of the question. I have not received any formal communications regarding this matter. However, I am aware of the media reports to which the member refers and I have subsequently sought advice from the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor. The Liquor Control Act, rather than the Local Government Act, enables the government, on the recommendation of the minister, to support a community through the making of regulations that prohibit or restrict alcohol in their communities when the community is unable to do this effectively under the community’s by-laws or by other means. Under section 175 of the Liquor Control Act, the minister can seek a regulation only after consultation with the Commissioner of Police, the relevant local government authority and any other stakeholder the minister considers relevant, which in this case includes representatives of the Oombulgurri community. Generally, such action would be instigated following a request from the local community itself, the local police or a local support agency. To date, no such request has been forthcoming from any party in the Oombulgurri community.
OOMBULGURRI COMMUNITY - BULK ALCOHOL CHARTER FLIGHTS
I refer to the reports that up to eight flights a week are being chartered to take bulk supplies of alcohol to the community of Oombulgurri near Wyndham. (1) When was the minister first made aware that bulk supplies of alcohol were being flown into the community? (2) The police agreement provides that limited-strength alcohol can be brought into the community on three days each week. Does the minister have any plans to make Oombulgurri a dry community? (3) If not, what action under the Local Government Act will the minister take to halt the flow of alcohol into the community? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of the question. I have not received any formal communications regarding this matter. However, I am aware of the media reports to which the member refers and I have subsequently sought advice from the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor. The Liquor Control Act, rather than the Local Government Act, enables the government, on the recommendation of the minister, to support a community through the making of regulations that prohibit or restrict alcohol in their communities when the community is unable to do this effectively under the community’s by-laws or by other means. Under section 175 of the Liquor Control Act, the minister can seek a regulation only after consultation with the Commissioner of Police, the relevant local government authority and any other stakeholder the minister considers relevant, which in this case includes representatives of the Oombulgurri community. Generally, such action would be instigated following a request from the local community itself, the local police or a local support agency. To date, no such request has been forthcoming from any party in the Oombulgurri community.
(1) When was the minister first made aware that bulk supplies of alcohol were being flown into the community? (2) The police agreement provides that limited-strength alcohol can be brought into the community on three days each week. Does the minister have any plans to make Oombulgurri a dry community? (3) If not, what action under the Local Government Act will the minister take to halt the flow of alcohol into the community? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of the question. I have not received any formal communications regarding this matter. However, I am aware of the media reports to which the member refers and I have subsequently sought advice from the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor. The Liquor Control Act, rather than the Local Government Act, enables the government, on the recommendation of the minister, to support a community through the making of regulations that prohibit or restrict alcohol in their communities when the community is unable to do this effectively under the community’s by-laws or by other means. Under section 175 of the Liquor Control Act, the minister can seek a regulation only after consultation with the Commissioner of Police, the relevant local government authority and any other stakeholder the minister considers relevant, which in this case includes representatives of the Oombulgurri community. Generally, such action would be instigated following a request from the local community itself, the local police or a local support agency. To date, no such request has been forthcoming from any party in the Oombulgurri community.
(2) The police agreement provides that limited-strength alcohol can be brought into the community on three days each week. Does the minister have any plans to make Oombulgurri a dry community? (3) If not, what action under the Local Government Act will the minister take to halt the flow of alcohol into the community? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of the question. I have not received any formal communications regarding this matter. However, I am aware of the media reports to which the member refers and I have subsequently sought advice from the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor. The Liquor Control Act, rather than the Local Government Act, enables the government, on the recommendation of the minister, to support a community through the making of regulations that prohibit or restrict alcohol in their communities when the community is unable to do this effectively under the community’s by-laws or by other means. Under section 175 of the Liquor Control Act, the minister can seek a regulation only after consultation with the Commissioner of Police, the relevant local government authority and any other stakeholder the minister considers relevant, which in this case includes representatives of the Oombulgurri community. Generally, such action would be instigated following a request from the local community itself, the local police or a local support agency. To date, no such request has been forthcoming from any party in the Oombulgurri community.
(3) If not, what action under the Local Government Act will the minister take to halt the flow of alcohol into the community? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of the question. I have not received any formal communications regarding this matter. However, I am aware of the media reports to which the member refers and I have subsequently sought advice from the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor. The Liquor Control Act, rather than the Local Government Act, enables the government, on the recommendation of the minister, to support a community through the making of regulations that prohibit or restrict alcohol in their communities when the community is unable to do this effectively under the community’s by-laws or by other means. Under section 175 of the Liquor Control Act, the minister can seek a regulation only after consultation with the Commissioner of Police, the relevant local government authority and any other stakeholder the minister considers relevant, which in this case includes representatives of the Oombulgurri community. Generally, such action would be instigated following a request from the local community itself, the local police or a local support agency. To date, no such request has been forthcoming from any party in the Oombulgurri community.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of the question. I have not received any formal communications regarding this matter. However, I am aware of the media reports to which the member refers and I have subsequently sought advice from the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor. The Liquor Control Act, rather than the Local Government Act, enables the government, on the recommendation of the minister, to support a community through the making of regulations that prohibit or restrict alcohol in their communities when the community is unable to do this effectively under the community’s by-laws or by other means. Under section 175 of the Liquor Control Act, the minister can seek a regulation only after consultation with the Commissioner of Police, the relevant local government authority and any other stakeholder the minister considers relevant, which in this case includes representatives of the Oombulgurri community. Generally, such action would be instigated following a request from the local community itself, the local police or a local support agency. To date, no such request has been forthcoming from any party in the Oombulgurri community.
(1)-(3) I thank the member for some notice of the question. I have not received any formal communications regarding this matter. However, I am aware of the media reports to which the member refers and I have subsequently sought advice from the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor. The Liquor Control Act, rather than the Local Government Act, enables the government, on the recommendation of the minister, to support a community through the making of regulations that prohibit or restrict alcohol in their communities when the community is unable to do this effectively under the community’s by-laws or by other means. Under section 175 of the Liquor Control Act, the minister can seek a regulation only after consultation with the Commissioner of Police, the relevant local government authority and any other stakeholder the minister considers relevant, which in this case includes representatives of the Oombulgurri community. Generally, such action would be instigated following a request from the local community itself, the local police or a local support agency. To date, no such request has been forthcoming from any party in the Oombulgurri community.

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