Pegasus Post: September 08, 2022

4 Thursday September 8 2022
Deprived area has 13 off-licences within 2km
• From page 1
“The previous owners
could have lodged a renewal
application 20 working days
before the expiry date, but they
did not,” Hewison said.
This prompted the DLC to
grant Super Liquor Woolston
a fifth temporary licence to
accommodate the hearing.
“But how could there be
another temporary licence if the
base licence already expired?”
Hewison said.
“It appears that the committee
believed that after the base
licence was expired, as long as
the temporary authority was
granted before that, then it can
continue on.”
He added: “In fact, this is an
application for a brand new
store, because there is no longer
any underlying licence.”
According to the Sale and
Supply of Alcohol Act 2012,
when an application relates to
a premise where an off-licence
is in force and seeks the same
conditions, the grounds for
objection are limited to the
suitability of the application.
Much evidence presented by
the residents at the hearing was
excluded, as they were identified
as matters of good order and
amenity of locality.
McMahon said he and other
objectors had lots to say about
deprivation and excessive of
alcohol within the community.
“But we were not allowed to
WOOLSTON: There are 13 off-licences, including Super Liquor Woolston, within a 2km radius. Ongoing alcohol-related
issues have led to a petition calling for an alcohol ban in Woolston Village.
talk about that,” he said.
Hewison said it would be
a “different picture” for the
application of a brand new store.
The objectors can object to all
criteria under section 105 the
Act, including the effect of the
licence on the good order and
amenity of locality.
In spite of statements from
the medical officer of health
representative and other
objectors, the committee found
Brar suitable to hold a licence.
He and his cousin Jagroop
Singh Brar, who is the other
shareholder and director of the
business, both have diplomas
and experience in business
management outside of the
alcohol industry.
“They have been running the
bottle store without incident for
some 14 months and have taken
on board suggestions provided
to them by the inspector in the
course of regular inspections,”
the committee said.
The business also employed
a “high experienced manager
who takes an active role in the
running of the business”.
Sukhwant Singh Brar, the
owner of Super Liquor Woolston,
said the appeal has put pressures
on his business.
“We haven’t done any crime.
We haven’t done anything
wrong.”
Said Brar: “We put in time
and money and all that. You can
imagine how much money is
going into this, right?”
The store is still operating
under a temporary licence.
Alcohol-related anti-social
behaviour has been an ongoing
issue in Woolston. Calls for
police service in the area, which
the store is located, average more
than 700 a year for a 1km area
for the past three years, with
the last year having the highest
number.
In its latest meeting, the
Waikura Linwood-Central-
Heathcore Community Board
asked the city council to
investigate an alcohol ban after it
received a petition from the local
community.
The petition, with more
than 150 signatures, was in
supporting for an alcohol ban.
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