Councillor Philippa Baker-Hogan is concerned about the social impact on alcohol on the community. Photo / File
Councillor Philippa Baker-Hogan is concerned about the social impact on alcohol on the community. Photo / File
Whanganui District councillor Philippa Baker-Hogan has resigned the council's district licensing committee, saying it has done nothing to reduce alcohol harm.
She made that public as the council moves to appoint two new members to the committee, and ahead of an application that, if approved, would top the Whanganui District Council's cap of 14 off-licences.
The committee is not often needed and Baker-Hogan has taken part in only one hearing during her seven years as a member. At the hearing for licence renewal for Black Bull Liquor Victoria Ave in June she was not allowed to speak.
She was deemed to have no greater interest in the outcome than any other member of the public, despite being a councillor and member of Whanganui District Health Board.
Baker-Hogan said she has been told, in her health role and by Safer Whanganui, that the three biggest issues they deal with are "alcohol, alcohol and alcohol".
When the Safer Whanganui Alcohol and Other Drugs Reference Group (SWAODRG) wanted to speak at the Black Bull hearing, it was declined as well. That matter is being appealed to the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority (ARLA).
The appeal costs in time and money, and Baker-Hogan said contests like this show who has the most money - and it's the alcohol industry.
Baker-Hogan said Black Bull Victoria Ave is in a "highly deprived area". Photo / File
She said Black Bull also applied for its renewal late, and the lateness was waived by the committee.
District Licensing Commissioner Stuart Hylton, who chairs the committee, said the waiver wasn't unusual and there was provision under liquor legislation for it to happen.
He would not comment on whether the council's Local Alcohol Policy had any positive effects.
"It's council's policy. It's for council to review," he said.
If asked, the committee would give council an opinion on the matter.
He would also make no comment on SWAODRG's appeal to ARLA, since the matter has yet to be heard.
The council was to appoint two new people to its licensing committee yesterday on Tuesday, October 27 - former Whanganui mayor Annette Main and Murray Clearwater, of New Plymouth. That will bring the number of people available for hearings to five; two are required to sit alongside Hylton.
There are other matters coming up for hearing, Hylton said.
One is a premises that is changing ownership, and another is a matter of a manager's certificate. The third is the application by the Kingsgate Hotel to sell beverages brewed on the premises. Sales would be both online and for people to take away and drink elsewhere.
That application has been objected to by the Whanganui chief licensing inspector, Medical Officer of Health, Whanganui Police and two others, Hylton said.
It will go to a hearing, despite the fact that if approved it will take the district's number of off-licences beyond Whanganui's Local Alcohol Policy cap of 14.
Chief licensing inspector Warrick Zander has previously said the committee must "have regard to" that policy, but is not bound by it.
It would be remiss of the committee to decline the Kingsgate application because of the cap, Hylton said. The committee would be "well within its powers" to approve it - but its decision could also be appealed.
