BEER SHORTAGE? THERE’S PLENTY UP HERE!

IT’S no secret the Territory loves its beer. So when news broke that there was a potential beer shortage affecting the nation, concern was rife that the Northern Territory would be left high and dry.

But our fears weren’t realised. We didn’t need to pour one out for our impending empty beer fridges.

Instead, we needed to pour one out to celebrate. An exclusive, in-depth investigation, by the Sunday Territorian has discovered brewers up and down the NT are in fact doing fine.

It will probably be the biggest feel-good story of the year for the NT.

It is also potentially a boon for hospitality and tourism. While the East Coast descends into a Mad Max-style beer drought, where people roam the countryside looking for kegs, the Territory will be sitting pretty, probably on a bar stool, with a freshly poured pint.

A popular ad campaign should be changed to read: “We have plenty of beer from up here.”

The tourism sector could not have hoped for a better blessing heading into the peak season.

And, on a serious note, it may be a great chance for the Territory to spruik its relative normality compared with the East Coast.

While the NT hasn’t been able to escape panic buying and stock shortages, Logistics Minister Eva Lawler this week said the empty shelves were largely because of people buying more than they needed out of fear.

The impacts from Covid-19 to our distribution networks haven’t been so severe, Ms Lawler said, because supermarkets operate their supply lines differently from in Sydney and Melbourne.

Unlike those cities, where massive distribution centres and meat packing facilities have been struck down by huge Covid-19 outbreaks, our system is more resilient.

This has left the Territory in an envious position, possibly only bested by the almost Covid-free Western Australia.

The result is that we head into our peak tourism season with a distinct advantage over both Covid-denialist WA and virus-ravaged NSW, Queensland and Victoria.

Spruiking our plentiful beer supplies might be just a small part of our campaign to bring back interstate tourism, but it does speak to the Territory’s resilience in the face of a pandemic that has disrupted every facet of our society.

In a world seemingly filled with negative stories, this is one piece of news we can raise a glass to.