That’s not acceptable.” Nick Dametto, the Katter’s Australia Party member for Hinchinbrook, was issued an infringement notice by Queensland Police. Curacao Island, part of the Palm Island group corrente32 / Shutterstock.com He was pictured enjoying full-strength beer on Curacao Island. This incident raises several important questions. It questions the legitimacy of enforcing an alcohol management by-law that bans full-strength alcohol consumption in certain areas.
Palm Island is located only one kilometre away from Great Palm Island and approximately 65 kilometres north of the regional capital Townsville. For starters, it imposes onerous alcohol control measures. These regulations limit the storage and drinking of full-strength beer on ten islands in the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire. Queensland Police have begun actively enforcing these regulations with an aim to further support their burgeoning healthier community culture.
Andrea Kyle-Sailor, a Bwgcolman woman and former councillor, noted the lack of residents ever being warned for violating these ordinances. She recounted her own experience when her 67-year-old aunt faced court for violating the restrictions, emphasizing the disparity in treatment between local residents and elected officials.
“I was really disappointed that once again there appears to be these double standards and I would have hoped that the MP would have faced the consequences like we have to,” said Kyle-Sailor.
On Good Friday, Dametto posted photos on Facebook of himself and friends drinking on a gorgeous beach — on Curacao Island. As people saw the lackadaisical celebration, the incident of course went viral right away. He named the specific beer, which contained 4.2 ABV. This was above the allowable limit, as people are only allowed to possess a maximum of 11.25 liters of alcohol with less than a 4 percent alcohol content in prohibited areas.
“Police have issued a 41-year-old Ingham man with an adult caution following investigations into an alleged breach of the Curacao Island alcohol management plan on April 18.”
Dametto’s reaction to the warning was one of disbelief. He explained that he had been unaware that Curacao Island operated under the same alcohol control policy as Palm Island. He assured State Parliament that the issue has been rectified after the police investigation.
Kyle-Sailor highlighted that the implications of these advisories are deep. He noted that it is particularly unusual for adults to be issued them for AMP violation offenses. She remarked, “The only time I’ve ever heard of a caution is for children, but I’ve never heard of it being done for adults — particularly for the AMP.”
She further criticized the perceived leniency shown towards public officials compared to ordinary citizens: “There are serious consequences to this ‘not so serious crime,’ so it just seems like a double standard. A caution is when the crime is not serious. Well, why are we continuing to go to court and being heavily fined?”
