Plan for bottle shops angers many

NOT IN VOGUE: Mount Mainstreet manager Peter Melgren and chairwoman Jane Debenham are concerned about the empty shop that could become another bottle store. PHOTO/GEORGE NOVAK

Massive community opposition has emerged to proposals to establish two new bottle stores in Bethlehem and Mount Maunganui.

Arguments for and against the liquor outlets will be heard in separate hearings before the District Licensing Committee this week.

First up tomorrow will be the application for a bottle store in a former video shop at the northern end of Bethlehem Shopping Centre.

A meeting of the Tauranga City Council yesterday heard how 500 people had objected to the bottle store which, if granted a licence, would increase the number of retail liquor outlets to five within about 100 metres.

Controversy around the bottle store applications came at the same time as the decision came through on the city council and Western Bay District Council agreeing to lift the cap on the number of liquor outlets allowed to be established in their communities.

Bethlehem's situation was highlighted by Mount Mainstreet manager Peter Melgren when he spoke about opposition to the bottle store planned to go into the former lighting shop in Prince Ave in the Mount Shopping Centre.

Mr Melgren said Mount Mainstreet, representing 217 members, opposed the bottle store, as did many residents including people living in townhouses across the road from the empty shop and a nearby apartment block.

He said the shopping centre already had three bottle stores and 57 other licensed premises.

"No one will die of alcohol deprivation ... we do not need any more."

Mr Melgren said afterwards that there were restricted reasons for why people could oppose applications for new bottle stores.

Mount Mainstreet chairwoman Jane Debenham feared the bottle store would attract young people to hang around the area.

Bethlehem Shopping Centre pharmacist Mark Arundel said no one wanted their community to become another South Auckland. "We are saying enough is enough. You don't need liquor stores every 50 metres."

Mr Arundel, who is a member of the Bay of Plenty District Health Board, said the lessons were clear about the over-abundance of liquor stores - it destroyed communities.

The applicants for the liquor outlets were not identified.