The Wire

On Palm Island near Townsville, two Department of Child Safety officers have been charged after they were seen drinking champagne and spirits on the verandah of the local motel. Unlike most of the other Indigenous communities, Palm Island Council introduced the limits of their own volition, rather than under the government – sponsored Alcohol Management Plans. The council by-laws make it illegal to consume alcohol other than beer on the Island. The charges are a blow to the tenuous relationship between the Department and Indigenous people. Child Safety Minister Mike Reynolds says the Department will be pressing on with efforts to improve it’s standing with Indigenous Queenslanders.