An application for a fourth off- licence in Onerahi was granted although some locals were "horrified" at the decision.
The Whangarei District Licensing Committee decision came after a public hearing a month earlier regarding businessman Edward Jones' application for the Onerahi Liquor Centre.
In its decision, dated December 10, the committee also imposed a number of restrictions on the store. Mr Jones was unable to be contacted for this story.
The application gathered 570 objections, although only 367 were considered valid because objectors had to live within a two km radius of the store.
The Onerahi Resource Centre Trust chairwoman, Agnes Hermans, said yesterday the people she had spoken to were "horrified" and "disappointed" the licence had been granted.
"I think the community made it really clear its view on it," she said. "It's clear that the district licensing committee has not listened to the community".
At the public hearing, the Northland District Health Board's medical officer of health, Clair Mills, strongly opposed the application.
While police did not formally oppose the application, Onerahi community constable Aaron Furze provided a letter in support of the local objections.
District licensing inspector Reiner Mussle initially took a neutral stance on the issue, but under cross-examination indicated he was leaning towards supporting the application.
The decision stated: "There was no evidence presented at the hearing that gives any compelling reason to conclude that there will be a relationship between the sale of alcohol and alcohol-related harm.
"Therefore, the committee concludes that the granting of this application will not, as a consequence of that, cause alcohol-related harm to increase in the Onerahi area."
The committee also found there was no evidence Mr Jones was not a suitable applicant.
Onerahi Resource Centre coordinator Ligimamilli Pakieto-Johnstone said she no longer had faith in local government.
"I'm actually quite blown away by it all," she said. "We couldn't have opposed enough".
In Onerahi, there are three off-licences, at Super Liquor, New World and the Onerahi Tavern.
Ms Hermans and Ms Pakieto-Johnstone said many residents they spoke to wanted the decision appealed, but a decision had yet to be made whether to go through that process.