A group battling against new booze shops in South Auckland is welcoming a council decision to support a bill aimed at tackling alcohol harm.
Green Party and Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick has submitted a private members bill to amend the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act.
She is seeking to prevent groups from appealing the local alcohol policies of the country’s councils and to give communities a greater say over liquor sales in their areas.
She also wants to reduce young people’s exposure to alcohol advertising, as well as the practice of alcohol companies sponsoring sports teams and venues.
Trevor Wilson is the chairman of the Auckland alcohol pressure group Communities Against Alcohol Harm.
He said Auckland Council’s decision on Thursday to support Swarbrick’s bill, along with her call for a Government review of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, were vital to reduce the social harm of alcohol in areas like South Auckland.
The 73-year-old retired teacher and Māngere Bridge resident said the sheer number of liquor outlets in South Auckland was out of control and the social effect of alcohol abuse was a major issue.
“It’s the availability of alcohol that’s the problem and with that there’s more family violence and violence,” he said.
Wilson used the example of Hunters Corner in Papatoetoe, where he said there were 16 off-licences in a two-kilometre radius.
The council released its provisional local alcohol policy in 2015, but it has since been locked in a legal battle with Foodstuffs and Countdown owners Woolworths NZ over its planned changes to the city’s liquor licensing.
A Court of Appeal decision in September found in the council’s favour, but the council said it was now waiting to hear if the supermarkets would take an appeal to the Supreme Court.
“It’s taken seven years to get to where we’re at now, but the council’s policy is still not operational. If it was, we would have been able to limit the number of liquor outlets in South Auckland,” Wilson said.
According to Auckland mayor Phil Goff, the supercity has already incurred $1 million in legal fees defending its position.
Under the council’s local alcohol policy, it wanted to restrict the trading hours of off-licences to ensure they closed by 9pm, instead of the existing 11pm.
It also sought a temporary freeze on the number of bottle shops in key town centres and surrounding areas in South Auckland, including Hunters Corner, Māngere, Māngere East, Manukau, Manurewa, Ōtāhuhu, Ōtara, Papakura, Papatoetoe, Takanini and Wiri.
Both Foodstuff and Countdown were approached for comment about the council’s planned vote on the issue and Swarbrick’s private members bill.
Foodstuffs declined to comment, but a spokeswoman from Countdown confirmed it had applied for leave from the Supreme Court to appeal the earlier decision.
