00:01Well, located just above my head is one of these speakers which Woolworths have installed earlier this month outside their
00:10Darwin store here in the Darwin CBD.
00:13Now, you may or may not be able to hear it, but what that speaker is playing is that very
00:19recognisable fresh food people jingle, which people may recognise from doing their weekly grocery shop, usually inside the store.
00:28Now, aside from being a city location, a city supermarket, this particular store is also located right across the road
00:37from a university campus.
00:39It's also located next to a chemist quite nearby to some residential buildings here in the Darwin CBD, but also
00:47importantly, it's located right next to quite a major bus stop.
00:51So quite often there are people that will need to congregate outside this particular location.
00:57Now, Woolworths have confirmed to the ABC that the reason for these outdoor speakers and this jingle playing on a
01:04loop on repeat is an attempt to curb antisocial behaviour and also stop people loitering out the front of the
01:13supermarket.
01:13There has been more than 24 reported incidents of violence or aggressive behaviour directed to staff and customers at this
01:23location.
01:23So Woolworths says they have received many complaints and this is an attempt to try to crack down on that
01:30crime and antisocial behaviour.
01:32Now, we had a bit of a chat to some of the customers who shop here regularly.
01:35A number of them have said they definitely noticed hearing this music over the last couple of weeks.
01:41Some of them have said it doesn't bother them at all. Others have said it's getting pretty irritating.
01:46The music?
01:48Yeah.
01:49It's on all the time. It's lovely. It suits me just fine. I love it.
01:52It doesn't drive you nuts?
01:53No.
01:53Very irritating. Early in the morning as well.
01:55Do you like the sound of the music?
01:57I love the music.
01:59It doesn't annoy you?
02:00No, no. I love it.
02:01Yeah, on repeat all the time. Tomorrow, next day, every day.
02:05Is it something that you've always noticed or is it recent?
02:07No, it's been not long ago. Yeah, maybe a week, I think. Yeah, or two, yeah.
02:12And do you think it's loud?
02:14It's alright.
02:15It doesn't bother you?
02:16No.
02:17Do you ever notice, you know, people loitering or antisocial behaviour out the front of this supermarket ever?
02:21Oh, yeah, absolutely. All the time.
02:24Yeah. Does it bother you?
02:25Not really. You just kind of get used to it.
02:27Do you reckon them playing the 20-second Woolworths jingle will stop people loitering?
02:32Not at all. No way.
02:34We did also contact the City of Darwin Council who told us all of these speakers are located on Woolworths
02:42land
02:42and therefore the council's ability to do anything about them is fairly limited.
02:47They also said that the responsibility when it comes to noise pollution coming from commercial premises
02:52primarily lies with the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority.
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