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A Dunedin alcohol-harm prevention group says everyone in the city, “especially students and young people”, will be better off after a new Bill to address licensing regulations passes into law.
The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Community Participation) Bill passed its third reading last week.
Hospitality New Zealand, NZ Wine,Spirits NZ and the NZ Alcohol Beverages Council all expressed their disappointment with the Bill.
Concerns were raised about the removal of the right to appeal licensing committee decisions and increased uncertainty for licence-holders.
Among those praising the Bill were student groups Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) Otepoti and Hold On To Your Friends (HOTYF).
SSDP Otepoti president Jai Whelan said the Bill would make the city safer for everyone by reducing the flow of cheap and accessible alcohol.
“It took two weeks of extraordinary work and effort, but the Bill has now been passed; we believe that everyone in Dunedin, especially students and young people, will be better off for it.
Concerns were raised about the removal of the right to appeal licensing committee decisions and increased uncertainty for licence-holders. Photo / NZME
“Both SSDP Ōtepoti and HOTYF believe passing the community participation Bill was necessary because it provides additional tools to stop the flood of cheap and easy-to-access alcohol that flows out of Dunedin off-licences, including the supermarkets, and fuels the extremely common and commonly extreme alcohol harm including physical and sexual violence that everyone in Dunedin has to experience — no more so than our student peers.”
Whelan disputed the claim the Bill threatened the livelihoods of those in the hospitality industry.
“Cheap and easily available off-licence alcohol undercuts the financial success of wonderful bars and restaurants, our amazing craft distillers and brewers, and our live entertainment venues where our amazing creative and live music scenes perform and shine.”
The Bill would remove the abilities of parties to appeal provisional local alcohol policies and cross-examinations at alcohol licensing hearings.
It would also allow any person or group to object to a licence application, with a narrow exception for trade competitors, and extend the timeframe for objecting to give people more time to prepare evidence.
Dunedin district licensing committee chairman Colin Weatherall said the Bill would not dramatically change the committee’s procedures, which already tried to run “quite a relaxed format”.
While the Bill removed the ability for parties to be cross-examined, Weatherall said it would not stop the committee asking questions and would give it the chance to consider evidence before it was challenged.
Weatherall said any licensees who behaved themselves and respected their community would have nothing to fear from the Bill, which he estimated was about 95 per cent of licensees.
“The changes in the Act won’t affect the behaviour of the good people, and hopefully will improve the small margin that give bigger problems,” he said.
Meanwhile, another Dunedin supermarket is set to be put under the magnifying glass for its supply of alcohol.
New World Gardens, in North East Valley, will appear before the licensing committee tomorrow seeking to renew its off-licence.
The renewal application has been opposed by police, who had previously opposed the licences of Pak’nSave Dunedin, in Hillside Rd, and Countdown Dunedin Central.
SSDP Otepoti objected to the single sale of beer, cider and wine for less than $6 each and in-store sampling at the supermarket.
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