Liquor licence infuriates residents

Tara Singh has regained his licence after it was suspended for two years when he sold liquor to a minor. Photo / Greg Bowker

Residents of one of Auckland's poorest suburbs are threatening to stage a second protest march after a liquor licence for a new bottle shop was "sneaked" through.

The licence for a former fruit and vegetable store at 140 Finlayson Ave, Clendon, has gone to a local businessman whose right to hold a liquor licence was suspended for two years after he sold alcohol to a minor at a superette in Wiri in January 2008.

About 100 Clendon residents marched in May 2007 against an application to sell liquor in a superette at the same Finlayson Ave address.

The superette owner withdrew the application and sold the store and adjoining fruit shop after the manager's son, 22-year-old Saishwar Krishna Naidu, was stabbed to death in the shop eight months later.

The new owner, Tara Singh, said he applied for a new liquor licence this year because the fruit shop was losing money.

"How can I afford to pay the rent and feed my children? I have a 10-year lease," he said.

Manukau licensing inspector Paul Radich said the application was advertised in the Herald and at the site, no objections were received, and the council had no grounds to reject it because Mr Singh's two-year suspension had ended.

"They did everything they are required to do by the Sale of Liquor Act so, despite how much we don't want any more bottle stores in Manukau, unfortunately the way it is at the moment we are powerless to stop them," he said.

"We did check with the Liquor Licensing Authority and they said no, he's finished the stand-down period."

Clendon Community Support Group chairwoman Waina Emery said she would start talking to other residents today about another protest march.

"If it's not this Saturday it would be the following one, I would imagine."

Shirley Maihi, principal of decile 1 Finlayson Park School, said the area had "a huge number of young people who can be enticed the wrong way".

"This district needs to get up in arms again about it."

Another resident, Veronica Henare, said the issue was so important that residents would "do what we have to do".

"It's only two years since that young boy, the shopkeeper, was killed by another youth in the area. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that that is not a good place to be putting an off-licence facility," she said.

Manurewa Community Board chairman Mike Bailey said he was informed of the licence application but did not tell anyone about it because the board did not have the power to stop it.

But two city councillors on the board, Colleen Brown and Daniel Newman, said they were angry that they were not told.

"What has happened here is a rather sneaky process," Mr Newman said.

He said he was stunned at the "hypocrisy" of Indian retailers who sold alcohol knowing that it was "harmful, opposed by the community and contrary to their religious beliefs".

Sikh Society spokesman Daljit Singh confirmed that baptised Sikhs were prohibited from using alcohol. But he said Tara Singh was not a baptised Sikh.

STORY SO FAR

May 2007: 100 residents march against Finlayson Ave liquor licence application.

Jan 2008: Applicant sells store to Tara Singh after manager's son killed.

April 2010: Singh applies for liquor licence again; no objections received.

June 25: District Licensing Authority grants licence.

July 14: Liquor store opens.