It was announced yesterday by the Northern Territory Government that investment has been allocated to strengthen the presence of Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors (PALIs) at takeaway bottle shops, with the news welcomed by Retail Drinks Australia.
The NT Government announced investment in additional training for PALIs yesterday, which will enable them to become Constables, and is designed to maximise the recruitment and retention of PALIs.
Michael Waters, CEO of Retail Drinks Australia, says that the investment will be beneficial for the industry, with the presence of PALIs still needed at takeaway liquor outlets throughout the state.
“Industry has been a long-standing supporter of PALIs in the Northern Territory, and we want to see the Government continue investing in this targeted measure at takeaway liquor environments, particularly in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, and Katherine,” said Waters.
“We believe that yesterday’s announcement of providing the option for PALIs to undertake training to become Constables is a positive step in promoting the benefits of becoming a PALI to potential candidates.”
While welcoming the announcement, Waters did however state that the liquor retail industry would not want to see a scenario where there is an overall decrease in the number of PALIs across these areas due to the uptake in this training.
“Whilst providing PALIs with the option of upskilling to become Constables is commendable, we would not want to see this result in the reduction or removal of PALIs from the important job they already have of assisting takeaway liquor outlets in these areas, particularly in enforcing new Police powers to place people onto the Banned Drinkers Register.
“The use of PALIs has been an effective policy measure of the NT Government and any scenario where their presence is diluted should be avoided.”