Buying alcohol in the N.T.

Submitted: Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 11:51
ThreadID: 108115 Views:2204 Replies:4 FollowUps:11
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I am aware that there are restrictions on buying alcohol in the Northern Territory.However I want to confirm the rules / laws about beer and cask wines.I believe that you can only buy 2 litre casks - is this correct? And is it limited to one per day?Are slabs of beer normally available?From pubs and supermarkets?
I have heard that the "new" Government in the NT "relaxed" the rules after they were elected.
We are going to Ularu , Alice Springs and the Macdonnel ranges.We don't want to bring any alcohol in bottles as we will doing off-road driving along the way to and from the NT.
Cheers
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Reply By: Top End Az - Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 13:48

Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 13:48
Hi Ted R2
In Darwin you may only buy cask wine in 2 litre casks. 4 litres aren't available. I have only been able to buy one cask at a time. So involves running around if you wish to stock up. Or if you are travelling with others just go in separately. I only buy beer 1x carton/case at a time so can't comment on that.

Also consider trading hours. Some places have restricted trading hours to limit access to alcohol. I am not aware of being able to buy liquor from supermarkets. Just the usual outlets such as BWS, pubs etc
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Follow Up By: Les PK Ranger - Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 14:20

Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 14:20
'I have only been able to buy one cask at a time. So involves running around if you wish to stock up.'

Isn't that crazy ?
If you can go bottle shop to bottle shop buying X qty at a time, why not just let people buy what they want in the first place ?

When we were in Alice a fair number of years ago after some bushwalking out the west macs . . . we bought some red, just a few bottles, to drink with meals etc at the local YHA where we stayed.

Not having experienced this sort of limited purchasing before, we asked how it works . . .
They told us limits that applied (can't recall what they were now), scanned our drivers licences, and said that any other liquor supplier in town 'knows' what was bought at their store, and you can't buy more than X in a 24hr period.
I think they said excessive daily purchases were scrutinised by some authority, and followed up of any suspicious buying patterns emerged.

All very strange but understandable.
Not sure if was just Alice, or how others NT locations operated.
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Follow Up By: Member - Rick P (NT) - Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 18:00

Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 18:00
Hi Les
Liquorland at Casuarina (Darwin) has the one cask per day rule but it's not a blanket rule across the Territory, it would pay to check where ever you are though. We just bought 6x2 litre casks at BWS Hibiscus Shopping Centre (Darwin) only because they were on special, $9 each.
Cheers
Rick P
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Follow Up By: SDG - Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 20:54

Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 20:54
I was not asked for any id last year in Alice, at the bottlo attached to Coles.
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Reply By: get outmore - Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 14:59

Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 14:59
you need to find out what specific town alcohol accords are

theres usually not just one blanket law and individual towns have thier own accords which govern how much you can buy, when you can buy it and what you must wear to buy it.
the new gvt did away with the need for photo Id to be scanned for every purchase
AnswerID: 533782

Follow Up By: get outmore - Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 15:02

Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 15:02
as an example in perth i can go to the bottle-o at 9.00 am, walk in with bare feet and buy as many cartons as i want
whereas in Kununurra only after midday and only 2 cartons, no shoes no servica and if i walk from over the park then i get nothing
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Follow Up By: DiscoTourer - Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 16:17

Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 16:17
Get outmore,

Your local bottle shop is slack. You must wear shoes to purchase from a bottle shop in WA....it's part of the license to sell acohol. I am a part of owner of a bottle shop and it's law.....staffed are fully aware of the licensing requirements.

But yes, you can purchase just about any quantity you want.

When in Darwin, I just went back into the same bottle shop with a hat and sunnies on 5 minutes later and purchased more grog.....the bottle shop attendant winked as he handed me my change. I think the wink was that he knew I was on my second buy....I hope lol.

Brett....
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Follow Up By: pop2jocem - Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 17:05

Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 17:05
I've walked into bottle shops many many times in WA in summer wearing my thongs (the ones you wear on your feet..lol) and never had anyone question me as to whether I had the appropriate footwear
OK maybe a bit naive but whats with the partial prohibition in the NT. We will be there in a week or two so probably a good time to bone up on local customs. Yep, never been into the Territory before.

Cheers
Pop
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Follow Up By: get outmore - Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 17:39

Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 17:39
dunno, just know all the shops in kal said you need a shirt and shoes for service. if you show up in a taxi you have to get out of the taxi and have shirt and shoes
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Follow Up By: get outmore - Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 17:41

Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 17:41
yellow waters I think it was a while ago
1 six pack or 2 if you were in the caravan park

many examples of different selling conditions for different towns

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FollowupID: 817257

Reply By: Member - Sue & Joe L (QLD) - Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 16:45

Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 16:45
Hi Ted,

We were in Alice two days ago, bought beer a BWS Woolies, reasonable price , could not find any cask wine, Police security on all entries to Bottle Shops.
AnswerID: 533783

Follow Up By: SDG - Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 21:00

Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 21:00
Interesting feeling seeing guards at the bottle shops. When I was there are little over a year ago, they were actual Police. It was part of their duties.

What I found stranger, was that you had to pay to use the toilets in these centres.
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Follow Up By: Sandman - Friday, Jun 06, 2014 at 02:28

Friday, Jun 06, 2014 at 02:28
They are REAL POLICE at the bottleshops, not private guards. Since Police have been manning the entrances and talking pretty much to every person entering the stores (not targeting any race/color/creed), the number of presentations to the ER dept at the hospital have SUBSTANTIALLY decreased and the amount of violence and poor behaviour has markedly dropped.

There are a set of public toilets just outside of the Yeperenye shopping center but once you use these you will understand why there are pay toilets :-)

Pete
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Reply By: Nomadic Navara - Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 23:26

Thursday, Jun 05, 2014 at 23:26
There is no simple rule that applies to the whole territory. Go to this map and check the restrictions for your intended areas.



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Follow Up By: Ted R2 - Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 at 18:03

Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 at 18:03
Thanks everyone for your insghts.Much appreciated.T
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