Three parties object to liquor sales in new $50m Herne Bay supermarket

Metro Herne Bay prepares for opening in late June. Photo / Michael Craig

Three parties have opposed alcohol sales at a new supermarket in New Zealand's wealthiest suburb, telling of a proliferation of liquor stores in an area where there are many poor people.

The new $50 million Metro Herne Bay opened last month but has been barred from selling liquor because it has not got its licence.

The alcohol section of the new store which opened last month is boarded up so no customers can access it.

Opponents are the Waitematā Local Board in a submission signed by chairman Richard Northey, a Tāmaki Makaurau warranted Māori warden Thomas Henry and Herne Bay local Dirk Hudig.

All submissions to Auckland Council's district licensing committee were along the same lines.

The board's submission said General Distributors should not be allowed to sell liquor from 1 Kelmarna Ave because the target market for that store included very vulnerable communities.

It cited high Pasifika and Māori populations in some areas, particularly towards Grey Lynn and Parawai Cres where there is Kāinga Ora state housing.

The area already has a proliferation of off-licences, negatively affecting it: Liquorland Herne Bay at 244 Jervois Rd, Herne Bay Cellars at 184 Jervois Rd, Meldrum Philips at 160 Jervois Rd and Glengarry Wines Jervois at 54 Jervois Rd.

Within a 2km radius, there are four supermarket off-licences: New World Victoria Park at 2 College Hill, Countdown Ponsonby at 4 Williamson Ave, Countdown Grey Lynn at 271 Richmond Rd and Farro Grey Lynn at 34 Westmoreland St West, the board said.

No alcohol can be sold yet. Photo / supplied

Also, within a 2km radius, there are six other bottle store off-licences: Liquor King at 254 Ponsonby Rd, Black Bull at 250 Ponsonby Rd, Glengarry Wines at 139 Ponsonby Rd, Richmond Road Liquor at 165 Richmond Rd, Thirsty Liquor Ponsonby at 3/280 Richmond Rd and Glengarry Wines Westmere at 164 Garnet Rd, the submission said.

The new Metro was near Marist School Herne Bay, Bayfield School, Ponsonby Primary School, the Herne Bay Playcentre, Pascals Kindy and public areas like Sentinel Beach and Cox's Bay Reserve, the board said.

Henry objected to the new off-licence partly because the area had very vulnerable communities. He also cited the many other liquor outlets in the area and said the new supermarket was near many community facilities.

The local board says the wider area has areas of deprivation. Photo / supplied

"I also have concerns regarding the 'endcaps' on the aisles in the alcohol area, because they'll allow alcohol to be displayed towards shoppers in other parts of the store," Henry wrote.

"I note that the Inspector and medical officer of health recently objected to this layout at the Countdown Ponsonby store where it was noted that 'the single alcohol area is not in accordance with [the law] because the exposure of alcohol to shoppers is not limited so as far as is reasonably practicable'.

"This is due to the single alcohol area containing five outward-facing end-of-aisle [endcap] shelves, as well as other displays of alcohol on boxes and barrels next to the endcaps."

Although those endcaps were located within the single alcohol area, they were prominent and oriented towards the rest of the store.

This does not limit the exposure of alcohol to shoppers, Henry wrote.

Metro Herne Bay landlord Kurt Gibbons owns the store with Ben Cook. Photo / Michael Craig

Hudig objected on similar grounds and said the new store was near a number of sensitive sites.

"Of particular concern is that the proposed store is near a number of beaches and parks that suffer high levels of alcohol-related harm and reduced amenity and good order," his submission said.

Alan Delamere, the Auckland District Licensing Committee's alcohol licensing inspector, said on July 8 that the police did not oppose the application from General Distributors.

Nor did the medical officer for health oppose it.

The three opposers appeared to have a greater interest in the application than the public generally because they live within 1km of the new store or carry out duties on behalf of the community in the area, Delamere's report said.

He had no concerns about General Distributors' suitability and had visited the premises on June 29. He also raised concerns about the end of aisles and limiting the exposure of shoppers to displays of alcohol.

As a solution, Countdown's national alcohol responsibility manager Paul Radich had committed to only having non-alcoholic products on the outward-facing ends of aisles, Delamere's report said.

That change was also reflected in a revised floor plan.

"In my view, there is no reason to suggest that the area's current levels of alcohol-related harm, deprivation and density are at a level that a new off-licence would likely make the area worse," Delamere wrote. He did not oppose the application.

Nick Smale, spokesman for the West Auckland Licensing Trusts Action Group, said the new store should be able to sell liquor.

"It's important that there is a right to object but these objections are without merit and serve no purpose other than to waste the time of the licensing authority and temporarily inconvenience shoppers. Ideally, the objections should be withdrawn so the store can receive its licence ASAP."