PM's move against liquor outlets gains support
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Prime Minister Helen Clark's call for tighter controls on liquor outlets is gathering support.
The Alcohol Advisory Council (Alac) said today communities needed to have a say in the number and location of outlets in their areas.
"This is the strong message we have been getting from communities throughout the country," said Alac chief executive Gerard Vaughan.
"The Sale of Liquor Act is now almost 20 years old. In that time the environment has changed dramatically."
Mr Vaughan said Alac wanted any legislative changes to also address factors contributing to binge drinking, such as cheap liquor and outlet opening hours.
Alcohol Healthwatch said it supported Miss Clark's call but wanted a more urgent response.
"Communities have been calling for the mandate to influence licensing decisions since they lost that right in the 1989 changes to the Sale of Liquor Act," said director Rebecca Williams.
She also said changes should cover a wider range of issues, including advertising and pricing controls.
Miss Clark said yesterday officials had been asked to look at a range of measures, including capping the number of liquor licences and widening the grounds on which the public could object to a liquor licence being granted.
She also wanted the type of store selling alcohol looked at.
"In effect, what most of us would consider a dairy has been turned into a grog shop in a number of cases," she said.
"I don't think that's good for the community."
The concern over liquor outlets follows the fatal shooting of Navtej Singh, 30, during a robbery at his Manurewa liquor store on June 7.
Miss Clark said yesterday police had grave concerns about the role alcohol was playing in violent offending.
The number of outlets has soared since rules were relaxed in 1989 and new research has linked outlet density with binge drinking and alcohol-related harm.
She told reporters that when Parliament passed the Sale of Liquor Act in 1989 it had not envisaged alcohol would become as widely available as it had.
MPs had probably thought they were voting for liquor being sold in supermarkets, not corner dairies.
The number of licensed premises had gone from 6295 to 14,970 since the legislation was passed.
New Zealand research, soon to be published, would show outlet density was associated with binge drinking and alcohol-related harm to young people, Miss Clark said.
She also said that the number of liquor outlets seemed to be highest in some of the "most deprived communities in our country."
"Ideally what we need is the numbers (of outlets) coming down."
Asked whether this could be bad for liquor businesses, Miss Clark said there was a greater social issue at play.
"It's the issue of what's happening to some of our less advantaged communities with the problem of binge drinking and the easy availability of alcohol."
Miss Clark said that under the law, district licensing authorities could not take into account the number of other licensed premises in a particular area.
"That seems to me to be a problem."
There were also limited grounds on which objections to a licence could be made.
Manurewa MP George Hawkins had drafted a bill that proposed widening the criteria for objecting to a licence application, and a requirement on the applicant to prepare a social and economic assessment statement.
Government agencies were looking at a range of measures which could complement that – including allowing objections to liquor licences from any affected party or member of the public and broadening the grounds for an objection.
There could be an option where local alcohol strategies were developed "which would specify locations and/or limits on the numbers of licences".
As well, territorial authorities could be given the ability to reduce or cap the number of liquor licences, Miss Clark said.
- NZPA
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violence!! is not only about alcohol, it has been around an awfully long time,alcohol availability has spanned generations, violence today is a combination of substance abuse, environment, attitude and parental examples not being set, i did not see my ancestors (social drinkers) or myself for that matter going out and commiting violent crimes,alcohol alone does not create a violent tendency if you never had it in your genes in the first place- today - self discipline, chastisement- learning right from wrong in infancy- is a factor to be considered- once again we are excusing anti social behavior and affecting those who are not violent- a business tax payer - another band aid legislation
I like the idea of being 20 to buy from an off-licence, and 18 for licenced venues. It means that it will be harder for younger people to buy hard alcohol, but by the time you're 18, someone can drink at a venue that is (theoretically) supervised.
The prices of on-licences make it difficult to get inot too much trobule ona regular basis - especially when compared with the prices of bulk spirits.
Unfortunately I think some form of regulation is required until our culture grows up a wee bit.
Just unbelievable - what about getting tough on crime ? what about building more prisons? , what about getting tough with Judges ? what about getting tough on youths ? , what about putting the age to buy alcohol up ? why not listen to the voters in NZ ? Why do allow parole in NZ?, why not close pubs at 10pm?,why not make it illegal to drink in a public place? like it use to be ? -i would happily pay more tax ! yes more tax to lock these ones up from a young age - i am sick of the joe public in NZ not being able to feel safe on our streets. Why do this feministic, transgender,homosexual freindly government react the way they do? why do we as a public accept their pathetic policies? we are the majority ? arnt we ? i just hope that the new Government will get serious and tough on crime - i even hope they privitise the prisons in NZ so we can have more of them so we can once feel safe again.
Horse bolted quick close the gate DOH to late, If it had been a Bank that had been robbed would they (Government) been jumping on the Bandwagon?
You know something ever since there has been alcohol there has been some kind of violent crime
So what if a Dairy sells Alcohol, these are places that local people go to get the odd bits they need and where store owners get to know the local people. But yeah you are right they sell Naughty nasty alcohol and people drink it and commit violent crimes, CLOSE THEM ALL DOWN! They also sell Smokes, Oh that can Kill people CLOSE THEM ALL DOWN, they sell Cheese that causes Obesity CLOSE THEM DOWN, They sell Sweets That will rot kids Teeth CLOSE THEM DOWN. Isn't it good to know that with these nasty Dairys gone there will be no where for people to buy these Nasty Naughty products! Well apart from Supermarkets and they care more for locals than nasty Dairys.
Why make liquor stores close at 18:00? How will this help? People could just buy up more and stock up incase they run out. Violent crime is it caused by people buying from Liquor stores or Pubs night clubs as well? IS it caused by Drunk people or People on Drugs? (ok yes Alcohol is a drug but I'm not classing it as Weed-P-Charlie)Is it caused by people on the Dole? Should be ban than?
You might not know this but some people can drink alcohol and not go out and kick 7 bells out of people or do violent crime.
I wonder if the Government really cared about NZ'ders and stopped being so PC, Would tougher/Longer Prison terms help? Would more Police on the Streets help? Would Armed police help. Would taking a tough stance on Drugs help? Zero tolerance to Crime. Sure it might not wont stop all crime as there are always going to be bad apples. But 1 Crime is 1 victim if they cant do anymore crime he/she wont harm another law abiding Citizen
When I visited NZ I was surprised to see young people drinking in bars after school. Also, the number of children that were smoking made me realize that the American tobacco companies gave little concern to the health of children in one of the most pristine places in the world. Please be responsible for your children!
Why are people bringing back the drinking age notion? This was already discussed in parliament and the bill to raise the age was rejected by majority. The whole population, not just the young ones are the problem. The problem is an oversupply of booze in less affluent communities that don't have high incomes and rely on less honourable means to get through hardships. These communities are synonymous with domestic violence and other violent crimes. With less liquor outlets, it also ensures an increase of security for the ones that do continue trading. Too many outlets are sitting ducks for robberies like the one we saw in Manurewa.
Now all the tinnie houses will start selling liquor, this bill doesn't address the real issues. We have kids in gangs having kids, they are not fit to be parents. A lot of these adolescents have not raised to know any better as to what is right or wrong.
Maybe having children shouldn't be a right? Obviously this is an extreme viewpoint, but it's really only geared to be thought provocative.
WHAT SORT OF CITIES DO WE WANT IN TEN YEAR'S TIME, OR LESS? Why do we need small liquor outlets anyway? Withdraw all licences except for large supermarkets and hotels. How many supermarkets and hotels are held up at gunpoint? Raise the age to 20 years. Stop celebrating imported 'gangsta' culture with brainless ideas like National Hoodie Week and ban similar 'gangsta-style' dvds and video games. Do nothing now and we will get the future society that we deserve.
Liquor being so freely available; gangs rule the streets; thugs and scumbags don't give a toss about innocent people; jail is a breeze, a nice holiday away from the wife & kids. Plenty of time to enjoy bloke time. Its time the good people of this country revolted against the bad guys. I'll join any party or organisation whose sole purpose is to break the gangs collective rule. Softly softly hasn't worked. Please somebody in power take up the challenge and restore the sanctity of life to NZ citizens. If I was a potential tourist, and knew what it really is like here, I wouldn't come. Look at our record? Its atrocious.
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i feel very sorry for the people that have been affected from this matter i am very unhappy as new zealand is ment to be known as a safe place .. .. . . . .