Philippa Baker-Hogan: Why the lack of opposition to the Black Bull Liquor?

The former Video Ezy, site of a new Black Bull Liquor, on Victoria Ave is in the vicinity of several bottle stores. Photo / Bevan Conley.

COMMENT
This community, including many councillors at the Whanganui District Council, were shocked to be finally informed that a new liquor outlet had been approved in December 2018 to operate from the former Video Ezy site next to Gull Service Station on Victoria Ave.

Within a few days, this new Black Bull Liquor site hit the headlines of the Whanganui Chronicle, and as should be expected, social media and letters to the editor asked many pertinent questions.

How did this happen without us knowing, why didn't the police and medical officer of health oppose this application and why do we need a 10th bottle store within a 500m radius of current premises?

I had all the same questions and, further to that, I am actually one of only six people appointed to the District Licensing Committee (DLC) including commissioner.

I was not informed of this application or asked to sit on the DLC to consider it.

It is clear that there is nothing we can do to stop this new, very visual liquor outlet that will sit beside the Gull Service Station and Night n Day stores, which interestingly has the slogan "we've got it when you want it" and Domino's Pizza.

In effect, this area has become a one-stop-shop for petrol, food, alcohol and vape products (just a few doors away).

You can't blame a business model like Shree Sai Holdings and their Black Bull brand, but anyone who tries to say that adding a liquor store will just spread the purchase of alcohol among those who already consume, don't be fooled.

It is a pretty simple supply-and-demand equation. Indeed, if you read the DLC decision, of December 20, 2018, what becomes clear to me is that lack of opposition from the community, but particularly police and medical officer of health and lack of statistics were key reasons this application for a new Black Bull off-licence in Victoria Ave was upheld.

That is what is so concerning in this whole issue. Why did the seven significant objections from the community not meet the objection timeframe and why did our key agencies not oppose this application?

I'm not particularly interested in hanging those key agencies out to dry, as we know our police, in particular, are under huge strain from a raft of issues, which include our very worrying meth and alcohol consumption issues.

Philippa Baker-Hogan. Photo / Bevan Conley

I understand both agencies have admitted they should have opposed the application and I know those working in key mental health and areas of youth services have the statistics and see the effects every day in their work.

I have followed up at council and have gained some assurance that council and the community will be much better informed when applications around significant alcohol issues and other key submissions, like housing, are out for consultation.

Community voices really do make a difference and Whanganui can be proud of standing strong against psychoactive substances and our smokefree policy etc.

Certainly the statistics that could have stopped this new alcohol outlet are available in our proposed LAP as part of a Draft Local Alcohol Policy Research Report.

In there it is clear that where there is a concentration of licensed premises and the increased availability of alcohol, there is a much higher incidence of violent events and drunk custodies.

The Laird Park area itself, within 1km of 14 alcohol licences, is within the top 1.4 per cent of neighbourhoods in New Zealand for crime; a very disturbing statistic.

We can't stop this new liquor store but we must do better, and that must be led by council, which receives applications and renewals of alcohol licences more often than you would think.

We certainly need our tax funded agents, like police and the medical officer of health, who directly receive notification of such applications, to act.

Philippa Baker-Hogan is a Whanganui District councillor, Whanganui District Health Board member, member of Safer Whanganui and a member of the District Licensing Committee