Newmarket station bottle store approved despite objections

A bottle shop. Photo / Glenn Taylor

A bottle store has opened next to the Newmarket Railway Station despite objections from residents of nearby apartments and the police which triggered a public hearing.

The Liquor Licensing Authority issued a one-year licence for the Liquor Mate store to trade from 9am to 10pm, Monday to Sunday. Residents' objections encouraged the applicants to drop their wish to trade till 11.30pm.

Objections also covered the proliferation of licences in the area, the store's proximity to a busy transport hub and potential for intoxication and disorder.

Police worried about the impact the store might have with 10,000 teenagers coming into the area daily.

But authority chairman Judge Bill Unwin said the application was determined by whether it met the requirements of the Sale of Liquor Act.

"The fact that a bottle store is not welcomed by some nearby residents and businesses is not a ground for refusing to grant a licence."

The applicants, Min Sung Kim and his wife Ji Sun Chang, gave an undertaking not to sell beer or RTDs singly or in less than packs of four and to refrain from displaying promotions and specials on the windows.

This satisfied a call from the Alcohol Advisory Council, which also said the supply of liquor to minors was often made by older friends or siblings making purchases on their behalf.

The authority said if concerns are realised, then it had the power to refuse to renew the licence.

Newmarket Business Association chief executive Cameron Brewer said the authority's decision was disappointing for the police and community groups. It was also surprising given the negative publicity around the growth of off-licences.

The authority noted that a bill before Parliament sought to give local bodies a greater say into where a new licence can be sited.

It also recognised that a report from the Law Commission was due next month.

However, the applicants were entitled to be judged under the present law.