The council will make a final decision on its draft Local Alcohol Policy in June. Photo / 123rf
The council will make a final decision on its draft Local Alcohol Policy in June. Photo / 123rf
The proposed banning of new liquor licences within 150m of sensitive sites such as schools and churches has been labelled as the “catastrophic destruction of the hospitality industry in Gisborne”.
Gisborne district councillor Larry Foster made the comment at a meeting where councillors largely opposed any changes to the current local alcohol policy.
The council will make a final decision on its draft Local Alcohol Policy in June.
Councillors discussing submissions for and against changes to the policy expressed concern at a meeting at Potaka Marae last Thursday for the hospitality sector’s viability and the impact on young people living in or visiting the district.
The one clear area of disagreement between councillors was when councillor Foster alone opposed the recommendation that liquor stores may not display external advertising.
Gisborne district councillor Larry Foster says banning liquor licences within 150 metres of sensitive sites could cause the “catastrophic destruction of the hospitality industry in Gisborne”. Photo / Laim Clayton
The liquor retail industry was a legitimate business, he said.
The staff recommendations, supported by councillors, rejected the first two policy proposals. These were:
1. No new licences to be issued to class 1 restaurants located within 150 metres of sensitive sites.
2. Reduce operating hours for on-licences Class 2 and 3 restaurants, cafes, and wineries from 10am to 12am instead of 10am to 2am.
Councillors accepted the staff recommendations to adopt proposals 3 and 4:
3. That there be an option to include a discretionary condition in liquor store licences that facilitates the ceasing of external advertisements at liquor stores
4. Include the legal definitions of Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 restaurants through footnotes for better readability.
On the first proposal, Foster said he appreciated the District Licencing Committee had discretion and its previous decisions concerning sensitive sites had public support.
Overseas, churches and other sensitive sites and liquor retailers were “all getting along”.
“If there’s a problem, they talk.”
He would like to see sensitive sites removed from the policy, but that would require further consultation.
If such consultation occurred, he was confident “we would probably achieve what we want.”
Not retaining the status quo would result in the “catastrophic destruction of the hospitality industry in Gisborne”.
He wanted the council to look at the issue of sensitive sites and how they could affect “the future of our CBD”.
Councillor Rawinia Parata said she supported the retention of the status quo.
Off-licences presented issues with alcohol harm and abuse, not people at cafes and restaurants, Parata said.
She said sensitive sites needed protection, particularly with the consumption of alcohol but that was the exception, not the rule.
A blanket rule was not required and the District Licencing Committee could deal with the issue “fairly easily”.
Councillor Josh Wharehinga said the council had missed an opportunity to engage with the public concerning the introduction of a sinking-lid policy regarding off-licences.
The sinking lid was when an existing off-licence closes, consent is not given for a new licence to another party.)
“There are off-licences everywhere,” said Wharehinga.
“We don’t need so many.”
Councillor Tony Robinson said he supported the staff recommendations despite the council not receiving ‘‘the full story” on social harm caused by alcohol abuse.
But the council did not have to wait six years to consider the issue again, he said.
Councils must review their Local Alcohol Policy every six years.
On Proposal 2 (reducing hours), Councillor Aubrey Ria said there would be no nightclub hours in a safe drinking environment for young people who would move on to larger university cities.
Councillor Andy Cranston said young tourists expected entertainment facilities to be open after midnight.
On proposal 3 (discretionary banning of external advertising), Foster said liquor businesses were legitimate businesses that employed people.
Councillor Debbie Gregory said she disagreed with Foster because businesses that sold liquor could not be compared to businesses that sold clothes.
Parata said she was concerned about alcohol advertising, marketing and branding.
Youths had no business knowing about the various brands or seeing alcohol advertising as “cool” as they walked to school.
Councillors had a responsibility to protect impressionable rangatahi, she said.
The council staff report said 80 per cent of written submissions opposed proposals 1 and 2.
“The proposals were made at the guidance and recommendations of representatives from Health NZ - Tairāwhiti and New Zealand police and the inspectorate.
“Whilst these agencies had a clear rationale for their positions, they could only provide limited evidence of alcohol-related harm, despite several requests being made to them to provide further information (including police statistics).
“The available evidence suggests at least some of those metrics, particularly alcohol-related emergency department admissions, have declined steadily over the term of the current policy,” said the council report.
Mayor Rehette Stoltz said the community had , taken interest and shared experiences (during public submissions in April).
