KEY POINTS:
Manukau has the second-lowest density of liquor outlets in New Zealand, despite intense public concern about the proliferation of outlets there.
A Herald analysis of liquor licences against population shows that most low-income urban districts, including Manukau's neighbours Papakura and Franklin, also have relatively few liquor outlets per head, even though studies show that low-income people are more likely than the rich to be heavy drinkers.
Manukau does have the country's seventh-highest density of both liquor outlets generally and off-licences specifically per square kilometre, reflecting its relatively small rural area.
But in relation to population, the most liquor licences per head are mainly South Island districts where rural pubs and tourist lodges serve sparsely spread populations and a big seasonal influx of holidaymakers.
Mackenzie District, which tops the list with 15.2 liquor licences for every 1000 people, had only 3804 permanent residents at the 2006 census, but attracts many times that number in visitors to Mt Cook, Lake Tekapo and other holiday destinations.
Its planning and regulatory manager, Nathan Hole, says Twizel's resident population of 1000 swells four-fold over the summer with people who use the town as a base for fishing, tramping and other activities.
"Mackenzie is also a district that receives very high tourist numbers; the majority of the licensed premises in the district cater for tourists and holidaymakers, and are not your traditional corner hotels," he says.
"We haven't observed any social behaviour that we would be concerned about as a result of the high density of liquor outlets. I believe this is because of the market that those outlets are catering for."
The figures show that big cities such as Auckland and Wellington also have above-average numbers of liquor outlets, serving wider regional populations. Conversely, suburbs such as South Auckland, North Shore and Waitakere or Porirua and Upper Hutt are near the bottom of the list partly because many of their residents travel in to central city bars and clubs.
The same pattern applies, although less markedly, if bars, clubs and restaurants are excluded and only "off-licences" at bottle shops, supermarkets and other stores are counted. Rural and tourist areas such as Mackenzie, Queenstown-Lakes and Kaikoura all have more than three off-licences for every 1000 people, Auckland City has 1.1, North Shore and Papakura 0.7, Manukau 0.6 and Waitakere just 0.2.
Even within Auckland City, the low-income Avondale-Roskill ward has the fewest off-licences, at 0.3 for every 1000 people, compared with 0.6 per 1000 in relatively affluent Eastern Bays or 0.9 in Eden-Albert.
The association with poverty shows up only in Dr Jamie Pearce's research based on Census meshblocks averaging only 100 people each.
Waitakere's record of the lowest densities of both off-licences and all liquor licences reflects control by the Waitakere and Portage licensing trusts.
