KAP MP Nick Dametto posts photo of himself drinking full-strength beer on restricted beach

Australia Broadcast Center

22-04-2025

Queensland MP Nick Dametto says he was "unaware" drinking full strength beer on one of Palm Island's northern islands was not permitted, after he posted photos of himself drinking there.
The Katter's Australia Party (KAP) member for Hinchinbrook shared photos of himself and friends on a boat trip to Curacao Island on Good Friday on Facebook.
One of them shows Mr Dametto drinking a full-strength beer with the island's location tagged.
Curacao Island is roughly a kilometre from Great Palm Island.
Palm Island can be seen in the background of this photo posted by Mr Dametto.
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Under Palm Island's alcohol management plan it is prohibited to bring full-strength beer onto the 10 islands which are part of the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire.
'Completely unaware'
The maximum amount of alcohol a person can carry in the restricted area is 11.25 litres of any liquor with an alcohol concentration of less than 4 per cent.
"I was completely unaware that some of the smaller outer islands that make up the Palm Islands group were also included in that alcohol management plan," Mr Dametto said.
Palm Island has alcohol restrictions in place.
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He said it would be "very beneficial" if there were "more signs" at the boat ramp and popular beaches.
Bwgcolman woman and former councillor Andrea Kyle Sailor said she was angry when she saw Mr Dametto's post.
"He's been the Member for Hinchinbrook since around 2017 and we've had our alcohol management plan in place since 2006 so we had it in place for 10 years before," Ms Kyle Sailor said.
"His electorate butts up against our electorate, so he should know."
Palm Island, off the coast of Townsville, has a transient population of about 4,000.
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She said it was obvious the beer Mr Dametto was drinking was full-strength as the Great Northern Original can he was holding has a white marlin on its branding, while the mid-strength variety has a black marlin.
"We know that the white marlin is for the white people and the black marlin is for the black people,"
she said.
'That's the law'
The alcohol management plan in the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire applies to residents and visitors.
Andrea Kyle Sailor says the law needs to be applied to everyone.
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Ms Kyle Sailor said even if Mr Dametto had made an "honest mistake" in bringing the alcohol to the island, she would like to him to be treated like any other person breaking the law.
"We've never tried to use that excuse that it was an honest mistake when breaking the law,"
she said.
"Nobody is exempt. People get searched all the time. It's not uncommon. Police were on the journey today at the ferry so they are constantly doing searches.
"We are humiliated when we get searched. It's really quite embarrassing being searched. They go through everything, and whether we like it or not that's the law."
Ms Kyle Sailor said she did not support the alcohol management plan and requested it be reviewed when she was a councillor.
'Double standard'
Mr Dametto said it needs to be asked how effective the plan is.
"The double standard is since 2008, some Australians have been treated differently to the rest of Australians when it comes to consuming alcohol," he said.
"Members of the KAP like Robbie Katter, our leader, and Bob Katter have been quite vocal about management plans in the past saying they have inadvertent consequences."
Mr Dametto said he did not believe his mistake warranted an apology.
"I think an apology should be reserved when someone is doing something intentionally wrong," he said.
Palm Island is the largest discreet Indigenous community in the country.
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A police spokesperson said the service was investigating the incident.
Mr Dametto said he had not been contacted by the police.
Fifteen local government areas across Queensland have alcohol restrictions with varying rules co-designed between the state government and the communities.
Alcohol management plans are designed to target illicit alcohol and promote "a healthy culture and attitude" towards alcohol.