An Open Letter to the

CHAIR OF WOOLWORTHS

Dear Gordon Cairns,

We write as community members and leaders to call on you to stop Woolworths from building one of the biggest bottle shops in the country in Darwin.

This is our home. The people whose lives your bottle shop threatens are our loved ones — our families, friends and neighbours.

We have been working together to create a stronger, healthier and more resilient community.

Would you really undermine all that for the sake of extra profit?

We are sure you know the impact that alcohol products are having in communities across Australia — the violence, disease and misery that spreads like a cancer.

We ask that you spare our community that fate. We ask that you put people above profits. We ask that you take the time to actually listen to what we’re telling you.

At no point has Woolworths engaged meaningfully with our community about building this Dan Murphy’s store. If you had, you would know the depth of our concern and opposition.

You claim to have responded to public concern by moving the store. In reality, you’ve bumped it a kilometre down the road. This is pure public relations spin designed to protect your public image, not our community.

Australians were outraged by the willful and deliberate destruction of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural sites elsewhere in the country by big corporations. Your pursuit of this store equates to the same willful and deliberate destruction of the health of our community and it will be judged accordingly.

You are the only person left with the power to stop this store from going ahead. This decision and the impact it will have now rests on your shoulders.

Please listen to your heart and protect our families, friends and neighbours from this destructive store.

Abandon your plans to build a Dan Murphy’s in Darwin.

Yours,

LOCAL ORGS:

Barbara Shaw
Chairperson, Aboriginal Medical Service Alliance Northern Territory & General Manager, Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation

John Paterson
CEO, Aboriginal Medical Service Alliance Northern Territory

Gibson Farmer
Charperson, Tiwi Land Council

Marion Scrymgour
CEO, Northern Land Council

Joe Martin-Jard
CEO, Central Land Council

Carol Stanislaus
Chairperson, Danila Dilba Health Service

Olga Havnen
CEO, Danila Dilba Health Service

Leeanne Caton
CEO, Yilli Rreung Housing Corporation

Colleen Rosas
Chairperson, Northern Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency

Priscilla Atkins
CEO, Northern Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency

Kim Hill
Chairperson, Yilli Rreung Trust

Theresa Roe
Chairperson, Yilli Rreung Aboriginal Corporation

Regina Bennett
CEO, Darwin Aboriginal & Islander Women’s Shelter

Jill Smith
CEO, Council for Aboriginal Alcohol Programs Aboriginal Corporation

Don Baylis
General Manager, Top End Aboriginal Bush Broadcasting Association

Phynea Clarke
CEO, Central Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Unit

Graham Dowling
Chairperson, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress

Donna Ah Chee
CEO, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress

Thomas Mayor
National Indigenous Officer & NT Deputy Branch Secretary, Maritime Union of Australia

Maria Harvey
CEO, Tiwi Island Training Education Board

John Wilson
Chairperson, Top End Aboriginal Bush Broadcasting Association

Robyn Ragattieri
Business Manager, Top End Aboriginal Bush Broadcasting Association

Shaun Tatipata
Director, Deadly Enterprises

Cassandra Carolin
A/CEO, North Australia Aboriginal Family Legal Service

Helen Fejo-Frith
President, Bagot Community Advisory Group

Deborah Di Natale
CEO, Northern Territory Council of Social Services

Noelene Swanson
Northern Territory Director, Save the Children

Jayne Lloyd
Director, CatholicCare NT

David Pugh
CEO, Anglicare NT

Ben Abbatangelo
Writer

Dr Robert Parker
President, AMA NT

John Boffa
Spokesperson, People’s Alcohol Action Coalition

ALLIES:

Donna Murray
CEO, Indigenous Allied Health Australia

Karl Briscoe
CEO, National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners

Cindy Berwick
President, NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group

Catherine Liddle
CEO, First Nations Media

Katrina Fanning
Chairperson, ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body

Roianne West
CEO, Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives

Donnella Mills
Chair, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation

Jill Gallagher
CEO, Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation

Fiona Petersen
CEO, Healing Foundation

Vicki O’Donnell
Chair, Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia

Priscilla Atkins
Co-chair, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services

Pat Anderson
Chairperson, Lowitja Institute

Caterina Giorgi
CEO, Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education

LOCAL ORGANISATIONS

ALLIES