Photo ID needed to buy grog

Rebecca Lollback

17Jun08

ONLY people with photographic identification will be able to buy takeaway alcohol in Alice Springs from next Monday.

Under new laws passed by the Territory Government, an electronic ID system worth more than $500,000 has been installed in take-away grog outlets in Alice Springs.

The system recognises 19 forms of local and national ID and more than 150 forms of international identification.

The system will scan a person's ID and purchases of restricted products  such as cask wine  will be recorded on the system for one day.

It will also record purchases of more than $100 and will alert bottleshop attendants if the person has an alcohol prohibition order.

Licensing Minister Chris Burns said the new system was aimed at reducing ``excessive and harmful consumption of alcohol''.

He said: ``Those people who have a problem with alcohol will be flagged and we can start to address the destructive cycle they are in.''

The electronic ID system has also been set up in Katherine.

The Territory Opposition has slammed the new law, saying it would not target problem drinkers.

Alice Springs MLAs Jodeen Carney and Matt Conlan have called for existing alcohol restrictions to be better enforced.

They also said the dry town legislation which bans drinking in all public places except for Telegraph Station  was ``a joke''.

Drinkers in Alice Springs cannot buy cask or fortified wine until after 6pm. Sales of four and five-litre casks have been banned.

Names and addresses are recorded for alcohol purchases of more than $100.