Whanganui's chief licensing inspector has suggested removing low-risk sites like table-service restaurants from the risk matrix. Photo / 123rf
Whanganui's chief licensing inspector has suggested removing low-risk sites like table-service restaurants from the risk matrix. Photo / 123rf
Whanganui District Council’s proposed alcohol policy could result in its own licences not being reissued, the chairman of the local licensing committee says.
If signed off, the policy will introduce a risk framework, or risk matrix, for all licence types.
Factors considered include deprivation and proximity to other venues andsensitive sites such as schools and early childhood centres, each with scores ranging from 0 to 5.
According to the draft policy, there would be “a strong presumption against granting a licence” for applications scoring 16 to 25, with “a presumption against granting a licence” for those scoring between six and 15.
Speaking during hearings on the policy, Whanganui District Licensing Committee (DLC) chairman Stuart Hylton said it put 17 premises with licences through the risk framework.
All came out at high or very high risk, which would mean a recommendation to not renew or issue a licence, he said.
The premises included High-Kut Bistro, Shotz Bar, Frank Bar and Eatery, Eastbrook Four Square, Woolworths Taupō Quay, The Great Kitchen and Castlecliff Golf Club.
Shotz and Frank both scored 32, meaning no licence would be granted.
“If the matrix remains in its current form, nearly all licensees that come before us will have to go through a hearing of some sort and will probably have to get very well lawyered up,” Hylton said.
The council was the largest licensee in the district with four licences, he said.
“Three are high [risk] and one is medium, so there is a recommendation under the current structure that those will also not be reissued upon renewal.
“The matrix does look non-nuanced. It’s pretty blunt.”
His submission on the policy said reports the DLC received from the council’s inspector, “not to mention police and the medical officer of health”, already covered the risk categories in the proposal, but in a more nuanced and professional manner.
Speaking at the hearings, Hylton said the committee could assess an application better than “a numerical sum for which you either fail or pass”.
Whanganui medical officer of health Dr Patrick O’Connor said there was no evidence poor decisions were being made when it came to issuing licences.
Whanganui's medical officer of health Dr Patrick O'Connor. Photo / NZME
“Statutory reports, such as the one I sign, can cover a range of concerns, including, if we wish, deprivation and proximity to sensitive sites,” he said.
“On balance, we think it’s better to leave the current risk assessment process unchanged.”
Government legislation requires licensing committees to regard a relevant local alcohol policy when issuing a licence, but they are not required to follow it.
The cap will be replaced by the risk matrix if the new policy is signed off.
Whanganui’s chief licensing inspector Steve Turfrey told the Chronicle the council’s licences for the Sarjeant Gallery, Cooks Gardens, War Memorial Centre and Royal Whanganui Opera House all scored in the mid-20s on the risk matrix.
Embassy 3 cinema on Victoria Ave also scored highly, he said.
“This [matrix] came out of the blue a bit but I understand what the council is doing,” he said.
“When we go to hearings, they are trying to make it easier for the court to understand the position of the community, which wasn’t well defined in the local alcohol policy.
“Basically, it just says all off-licences are bad, let’s not have any.”
Turfrey said there were now 19 off-licences in the district.
While the matrix was more nuanced than the cap, it had unintentionally captured very low-risk premises, he said.
“Where do I go when I’m out policing at 2am on a Sunday morning? I’m not at the Embassy [cinema].”
In his submission on the policy, Turfrey proposed a risk mitigation tool.
“The applicant says ‘I recognise the risks and here are my mitigations for those risks’," he told the Chronicle.
“Otherwise, do we remove lower-level-risk ones, like a table-service restaurant, from the risk assessment tool altogether, and base it on the fees risk profile already in the [Sale and Supply of Alcohol] Act?”
According to the Ministry of Justice, there are five fee categories, reflecting different levels of licensing costs and risks, ranging from $1050 (very high) to $320 (very low).
Deliberations on the alcohol policy will take place during a council strategy and policy committee meeting on July 10.
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
