Apply for an individual liquor permit

Apply for a liquor permit on the Gove Peninsula

If you live, work or are visiting the Gove Peninsula, you can apply for a liquor permit to buy takeaway alcohol.

This includes Nhulunbuy, Gunyangara and Yirrkala.

There are restrictions on how much alcohol you can buy depending on the conditions of your permit.

Who can apply

You can apply for a permit if you're over 18 years old and are one of the following:

  • a permanent or long-term resident
  • a contractor
  • a tourist or visitor with recognised accommodation.

Before you apply

You must have one of the following.

  • current driver licence
  • passport
  • evidence of age card (also known as 18+ card)

You will also need to provide one of the following:

  • proof of employment
  • proof of residence - e.g. power bill.

If you're a contractor, you will also need to provide a letter of support signed by your employer.

If you're an overseas tourist, you must also have one of the following:

  • government issued photo ID card
  • passport
  • proof of residence
  • proof of employment.

Read more about identification.

What you can apply for

There are 3 types of permits you can apply for.

Resident

If you plan to live or have lived in the region for 3 months or more, you are classed as a resident.

You can apply for a resident liquor permit. This permit is valid for 3 years unless cancelled by NT Police or the Gove Peninsula Liquor Permit Committee. You must reapply for a new permit when it expires.

Contractor

If you're on a fixed contract of up to 6 months or a contractor who frequently comes to the region for work purposes, but are not a resident, you can apply for a contractor liquor permit. This includes fly-in fly-out workers.

To apply for this permit, you must submit a letter of support signed by your employer with your liquor permit application.

Visitor

If you're visiting the region for 3 months or less and are not a contractor, you can apply for a visitor liquor permit.

This permit is for:

  • visitors who have recognised accommodation or
  • visitors staying with a resident.

Staying with a resident

If you're a visitor staying with a resident, you can drink alcohol under their permit while you wait for your permit.

To do this:

  • the resident must have a current liquor permit
  • you must follow the conditions of the resident’s permit
  • the resident can provide you with alcohol, but only out of their own supply.

If you break any of the resident’s permit conditions, their permit can be revoked.

You can apply to have a permit cover the length of your stay. If your stay runs longer than your permit's end date, you must apply for a new permit.

Temporary changes to permit rules

The NT Government has introduced a trial period to change the takeaway alcohol permit system in:

  • Nhulunbuy
  • Yirrkala
  • Gunyangara.

It will run from 1 October 2023 to 31 March 2024.

The trial is at the request of the Gove Peninsula Harmony Group. This is an advisory group made up of leaders and key organisations from across the Gove Peninsula.

What the changes mean

The changes mean:

  • a maximum daily limit will replace the current unrestricted permit
  • a new 4 level tier system will replace the previous 6 permit levels.

Takeaway alcohol restrictions are decided by what level your permit is set at.

Permit holders who live in Nhulunbuy can access all tiers. Permit holders who live in Yirrkala and Gunyangara will have access to the first 3 tiers.

Residents won’t have to re-apply for a permit during the 6-month trial, unless their permit has naturally expired.

Access levels

During the trial period, if you currently hold a level:

  • 1 - you can access tier 1
  • 2 and 3 - you can access tier 2
  • 4 - you can access tier 3
  • 5 or 6 - you can access tier 4.

Tiers and daily limits

Your tier level allows you to buy the below per day:

Tier 1

  • 6 cans or bottles of light beer.

Tier 2

  • 12 cans or bottles of full-strength beer or cider or
  • 1 bottle of wine or
  • 6 cans or bottles of premixed drinks.

Tier 3

  • 1 carton (up to 30 units) of full-strength beer or cider or
  • 6 bottles of wine or
  • 12 cans or bottles of premix spirits.

Tier 4

Up to 3 of any combination below.

Only 1 bottle of spirits or 1 carton (up to 24 cans or bottles) of premix spirits can be part of this combination:

  • 1 carton (up to 30 units) of full-strength beer
  • 1 carton (up to 30 units) of cider
  • 6 bottles of wine
  • 1 bottle of spirits or
  • 1 carton (up to 24 cans or bottles) of premix spirits.

How to apply

If you don't have a permit and want to apply, follow these steps:

Step 1. Fill in the application for a liquor permit for Gove Peninsula.

Application for a liquor permit for Gove Peninsula PDF (224.7 KB)
Application for a liquor permit for Gove Peninsula  DOCX (76.8 KB)

Step 2. Submit your form and supporting documents by emailing them to liquorpermits.ditt@nt.gov.au.

Give feedback

To find out more or to submit feedback, go to the Have Your Say website.

Contact

Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade
PO Box 1421
Nhulunbuy NT 0881
ditt.eastarnhem@nt.gov.au

Liquor Permits – Licensing NT
GPO Box 1154
Darwin NT 0801

Phone: 08 8999 1800


Rules for liquor permit holders

Liquor permits were set up to help communities deal with violence and alcohol-related crime.

You can lose your permit if you have an alcohol ban from any of the following:

  • a court
  • probation or parole conditions
  • an alcohol mandatory treatment tribunal aftercare order
  • an alcohol protection order.

Breaches of your permit

Your permit could be revoked if you commit any breaches listed in the conditions of your permit. Breaches are broken into 3 categories:

Major breaches

If you are found guilty of committing a major breach, your permit will be cancelled for 12 months. If you commit 2 major breaches, you will receive a 2-year ban.

Major breaches include any of the following:

  • supplying alcohol to a person:
    • under the age of 18
    • who lives in the restricted area but doesn't have a permit
  • alcohol-related assaults
  • found possessing, using or selling drugs
  • high range drink-driving
  • refusing to give a breath test for drink-driving
  • alcohol-related car accidents
  • illegally having or supplying kava.

Moderate breaches

Your permit will be suspended for 6 months if you are found guilty of a moderate breach. If you commit any 2 moderate breaches you will receive a one-year ban from being able to get a permit.

Moderate breaches include any of the following:

  • being banned from any licensed drinking venue
  • receiving a trespass notice from a licensed venue or a public or private event
  • drink-driving offences where your blood alcohol level is between .08% and .15%
  • drink-driving offences where you have a restricted blood alcohol level of 0.0%
  • not properly securing alcohol.

Minor breaches

Your permit could be suspended for 3 months if you are found guilty of a minor breach. If you commit any 2 minor breaches, you will receive a 12-month ban from being able to get a permit.

Minor breaches include any of the following:

  • any alcohol-related crimes
  • being given an alcohol protection order
  • public drunkenness
  • antisocial behaviour
  • begging
  • leaving empty alcohol bottles in a restricted area
  • low range drink-driving offences where your blood alcohol level is between .05% and .08%.

If your permit is suspended or revoked

If your liquor permit has been suspended you can legally challenge the decision.

Once your permit is taken away you will be sent a show cause notice in the mail from the permit committee.

You will have 7 days from receiving the notice to write a letter explaining why your permit should be reinstated.

To reapply for a permit after a ban has finished, you will need to show the permit committee all of the following in writing:

  • you are a fit and proper person responsible enough to have your permit reinstated
  • you haven't committed any further alcohol-related offences during the suspension period
  • you are sorry for what happened and accept responsibility.

Apply for a review

If your permit has been revoked you have 28 days from receiving your Show Cause notice to apply for a review.

To apply follow these steps:

Step 1. Fill in the application for review of delegate decision.

Application for review of delegate decision DOCX (694.2 KB)
Application for review of delegate decision PDF (558.9 KB).

Step 2. Submit the form to your local Territory Business Centre.

Step 3. Your application will be reviewed by the director-general of licensing.

Get your permit voluntarily revoked

You can have your liquor permit voluntarily revoked by contacting your local permit office or police station.

If you want your permit reinstated you will need to write to the permit committee to have the ban lifted.

Special circumstances

You can also have your liquor permit taken away or changed if one of the following applies:

  • you have health problems related to drinking alcohol
  • your or other people's safety is at risk by drinking alcohol
  • you have a written letter from a doctor asking that your drink less.

Temporary bans

Permits can be temporarily suspended when there is community unrest or distress.

Your permit can also be temporarily revoked when there is a natural disaster like a cyclone. You must not drink alcohol during these periods.