Kimberley town traded bank details for booze
Alana Buckley-Carr; 13/6/08
The grog-ravaged Kimberley town of Oombulgurri became so dysfunctional that more than 100 residents - almost the entire adult population - left their bank card and pin numbers with a charter company, which flew in planeloads of alcohol in return, a coronial inquest was told yesterday. West Australian Coroner Alastair Hope yesterday resumed an inquest into five alcohol-fuelled suicides in Oombulgurri, 160km west of the border with the Northern Terrritory. Mr Hope said he was particularly concerned that the residents’ social security payments were being swallowed up by alcohol and Wyndham Aviation. He said the situation had been uncovered when police were called in to investigate a burglary at the company’s offices in 2004 in which the cards were stolen. Each card had the pin number attached. It is believed the cards were found shortly afterwards.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23856123-5013404,00.html
Tags: Aboriginal, Australia, Drugs