KEY POINTS:
Two North Shore schools are opposing a liquor store that could open within 100m of their front gates.
Rangitoto College and St John School, both in Mairangi Bay, have sent letters to the Liquor Licensing Authority opposing the proposed store at 544 East Coast Rd.
But that
opposition has confused Charlie Singh, owner of the business seeking to open the store. Both his planning and building certificates were issued by the North Shore District Licensing Agency, and he was told his shop would not breach any city bylaws.
St John School principal Bernard Fitzgibbon said his Catholic school already had a problem with youths meeting and socialising there outside teaching hours.
Those youths had been responsible for vandalism in the past - including dropping faeces in the school pool, forcing its closure.
Mr Fitzgibbon said the liquor store's opening would provide easily accessible alcohol to those youths, exacerbating the problems.
He also believed siting a liquor outlet on a spot thousands of children walked past daily would normalise the purchasing of liquor for those youngsters.
Rangitoto College principal David Hodge said his school's Year 13 students wore no uniforms and many were 18 years old.
It seemed likely the shop's advertising "would no doubt target those prospective customers who might be walking by".
It would also put temptation in their way as they were walking to and from school, he said.
But any student who succumbed to that temptation and subsequently was found to be under the influence of alcohol while at school would be dealt with severely, causing a severe impact to their education.
"In the main our students are highly responsible and we don't have any major issues," Mr Hodge said.
"But we shouldn't put temptation in their way. One mistake by a student could have serious consequences."
He said experience had shown some students did occasionally buy alcohol when they shouldn't, and some older students were coerced into buying alcohol for younger pupils.
Mr Hodge said trials had shown liquor outlets were often not as responsible as they should be and sold alcohol to minors, "so we doubt that they would challenge 18-year-old school students about the appropriateness of their purchases".
Mr Singh said the feedback he had received so far had been overwhelmingly positive.
"We are responsible retailers, with 13 years' experience in the hospitality industry. We'll be upholding our responsibilities in regards to the Liquor Licensing Act."
North Shore District Licensing Agency liquor licensing inspector Peter Richardson said Mr Singh was "a good operator" who had done all that was required of him to meet council requirements.
"At the moment he's squeaky clean."
He said because of the objections - he believed there had been eight in total - the matter would now be referred to the Liquor Licensing Authority, which would determine whether Mr Singh gained a licence to sell liquor from the store.
