KEY POINTS:
A Manurewa liquor store has been granted a licence, provided it does not sell party pills.
The decision by the Liquor Licensing Authority is seen as a victory by local residents, say objectors Daniel Newman and Angela Dalton.
They predict the outcome of their objection will set a national precedent.
During the authority hearing, which was triggered by the objection lodged by Mr Newman and Mrs Dalton, the licence applicants were advised that there was real possibility the application would not be granted.
The directors of Roscommon Liquor Limited, Gurdip Singh and Aurvinderjit Singh, then agreed to sign an undertaking not to sell party pills.
"We, the applicant and directors of Roscommon Liquor Limited trading as Roscommon Liquor, hereby undertake to remove all products that can be referred to as party pills before our licence is granted by the Liquor Licensing Authority," the undertaking reads.
"We also undertake that there will be no sale or supply of these products while the licence is in force and understand that any breach of this undertaking will result in applications being filed with the Liquor Licensing Authority for the cancellation of the company's licence and will make us unsuitable as managers or directors of the company."
On the basis of the undertaking, Mr Newman formally withdrew opposition to the application, as did the police and the District Licensing Agency inspector.
Mr Newman and Mrs Dalton said the suppliers of party pills had been put on notice and the authority had endorsed the arguments put forward by the community.
"There is mounting evidence which suggests that the consumption of party pills is detrimental to people's health and well-being," the pair said.
"There is a very real risk that party pills consumed with alcohol can make people very ill.
"The causal link between the consumption of party pills and death has not been discounted."
In June, Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton said he was going to introduce legislation to ban party pills and expected it to be passed by the end of the year.
- NZPA
