'Huge red flags' over Lake Hāwea liquor store
People in the small township of Lake Hāwea near Wānaka are objecting to plans for its first stand-alone bottle shop.
Queenstown Lakes District Council approved a non-notified resource consent application for a Super Liquor store in the Longview subdivision earlier this month. The retailer has now applied for a liquor licence.
Lisa Riley, whose family moved from Wellington to Lake Hāwea 18 months ago, said the store would be too close to a children's playground and a school bus stop.
"It is going to be just metres away from where my son catches his school bus and in close proximity to the playground where he plays.
"He rides his bike around the neighbourhood, we walk our dog nearby, and it's right at the gateway of our neighbourhood," she said.
"That raises huge red flags for me. It's not about opposing alcohol in general, it is about how close this is to our children every day and how it exposes them to that."
Local Warren Chinn said the bottle shop was unnecessary because three businesses already sold alcohol in Lake Hāwea: Hāwea Store & Kitchen, Lake Hāwea Hotel and Fresh Choice supermarket.
"If people want higher-strength alcohol they can go to Wānaka where there are at least three hard-liquor shops," he said.
"We could do with more useful shops - certainly not a shop that encourages getting boozed."
The public had until June 23 to lodge any objections to the liquor licence application.
Queenstown Lakes District Council said the Super Liquor store was approved in accordance with the Resource Management Act and district plan provisions that zoned the site as a local shopping centre.
"This zoning permits retail activities - defined as the direct sale or hire of goods to the public - as of right, provided the development meets the relevant planning rules," a spokesperson said.
"It is important to clarify that under the PDP (proposed district plan), council cannot regulate or prioritise types of retail activity (eg. groceries vs liquor) within such a zone as long as the activity falls within the defined and permitted use.
"In this case, the proposed development met the retail activity definition."
The site of the proposed liquor store on Longview Drive. Photo: Supplied/Lisa Riley
A Super Liquor spokesperson said each liquor licence application process was an opportunity for the prospective franchisee and the community to be heard.
"In this case, the operator making the application at Lake Hāwea is one our most experienced franchisees with a great reputation for the stores they already operate throughout Central Otago," they said.
The council said minor district plan rule breaches meant resource consent was required, including the size of the building, signs and access, but the application did not need to be publicly notified.
Public notices about the liquor licence application were published on the council website and would be placed on fences or boardings surrounding the proposed site and advertised in local newspapers, the council said.
Resident Kim Knight said she was surprised the council had not consulted the public about the resource consent.
"I don't understand why the community wasn't consulted first as to what shops and facilities they would like and need. Wouldn't that be the sensible thing to do?" she said.
"This is a whole cultural, societal issue in the country at large. It's indicative of a society that says it is okay to have a liquor store in a place like Hāwea and not even consult the community first."
Communities Against Alcohol Harm spokesperson Liz Gordon said it was common for liquor stores to be included in developments and for resource consent to be granted without being publicly notified.
She said Super Liquor would sell a wider range of alcohol compared to existing stores and could be problematic for the popular holiday destination.
"It is going to lead to an increase in alcohol-related litter, alcohol-related harm late at night and so on, perhaps in the New Year and perhaps where people are camping," she said.
"The other issue is the subdivision itself has got hundreds of tiny sections and includes a significant area where people can buy lower-cost housing.
"We are not talking here about a huge lake-side development, we're talking about a pokey little subdivision with hundreds and eventually a couple thousand houses that aren't built yet, having its own liquor store."
District councillor Cody Tucker, who lived in Lake Hāwea, said he had been approached by a number of people concerned about the bottle shop and its proximity to the playground.
"A lot of people for a long time have been asking for commercial facilities out in Hāwea, its been a long time coming, and I think it has been a bit of surprise this is the first cab off the rank," he said.
"Council as a consenting authority has an obligation to follow its statutory responsibilities. I appreciate that an alcohol store feels like a high area of interest, but there are still the roles and responsibilities of being a consenting authority in a free market economy."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
New Zealand needs a cultural shift in infrastructure planning
A sober reminder of the scale of our challenge came in June with the release of the draft National Infrastructure Plan from the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission Te Waihanga. The plan lays bare a troubling paradox; between 2010 and 2019, New Zealand's investment in infrastructure represented the highest proportion of GDP among OECD nations, yet we ranked near the bottom of the OECD for return on that investment. In short, we're not getting bang for our buck and we need to do much better. Part of that comes down to how hard it is to build things here. Over recent years, the time and cost of securing planning approvals, designations and resource consents has risen significantly. We often hear frustration about the layers of complexity, duplicated processes and the inability to get timely decisions. Unfortunately, the consequences are felt by everyone stuck in traffic or using our deteriorating public assets. The good news is that change is under way. Infrastructure New Zealand policy director Michelle McCormick. This year alone, we've seen a steady stream of initiatives to modernise the infrastructure system. The Government has begun reshaping the regulatory landscape with a major legislative reform programme. We have seen commencement of the new Fast-track Approvals legislation, which should help accelerate some critical projects by aligning all consents and other regulatory approvals via a one-stop-shop. A new National Policy Statement for Infrastructure will, for the first time, provide consistent national direction for how infrastructure is planned and delivered, alongside other important resource considerations. This will mean a more consistent approach and treatment of critical infrastructure, especially for national network operators such as NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), KiwiRail and Transpower, or other infrastructure owners and operators who currently need to convince 67 different councils of the need for asset development and standard maintenance activities. Phase two of the reform to the Resource Management Act (RMA) includes long-overdue updates to 14 existing and seven new national direction instruments. Infrastructure-related settings changes include telecommunications, renewable electricity generation, electricity transmission standards and the going-for-housing-growth package. These may sound like technical changes, but they matter. They help create certainty and reduce unnecessary duplication and overly bureaucratic approval processes. They also speed up decision-making, all while ensuring environmental standards are maintained. A cultural shift is also needed. For too long, our infrastructure system has been set up to say 'no' by adding hurdles and rarely removing them. The Resource Management Act has spawned 30 years of complex rules and fragmented planning across the country. While the current amendments and new and updated National Direction instruments will help, what is needed is a new planning and environmental management system that enables good projects to proceed, with appropriate safeguards. Getting to 'yes, with conditions' must become the norm. That won't happen overnight. Improving the rules is just one piece of the puzzle. We also need high-quality, timely environmental monitoring so decisions are based on reliable data. Reform of the Environmental Reporting Act is on the table and it's vital that this leads to better, more transparent information to support infrastructure decision-making. Importantly, the Government is also looking at ways to align regional spatial planning, improve housing development processes and introduce nationally standardised zones. This will help reduce the endless local variations that currently make infrastructure delivery so complicated and costly. As the Minister for Infrastructure has pointed out, 'across New Zealand, there are 1175 different kinds of zones. In the entirety of Japan, which uses standardised zoning, there are 13 zones'. New Zealand is special but I don't think we are that special. Simplifying the field, removing unnecessary over-complication and making the rules clearer for everyone can ease the way for infrastructure development and address at least one of the causes of our high project costs. The avalanche of legislative change is progressing. Work on the replacement RMA in the form of two new acts is well under way but is unlikely to be completed this parliamentary term. These changes will lay the building blocks for a better system, but installing a new regime that has cross-party support is critical. Our system settings must keep improving, the reforms we make must be implemented properly and we must hold on to the momentum for change. These are complex shifts and signal a new maturity in how we think about infrastructure; not as stand-alone projects solving isolated problems, but as part of our broad economic and social fabric. The reality is that system reforms don't get people excited like seeing shovels in the ground, but in many ways, they are even more essential. The way we regulate, plan, consent and deliver infrastructure in New Zealand is riddled with complexity, delay and cost. This doesn't just hurt the Government and our local councils, it harms every New Zealander getting to work, waiting for a hospital bed or learning in a substandard classroom. Many of today's changes won't be visible to the public immediately, but they are essential if we want to lift our performance, attract investment and deliver the infrastructure New Zealanders require over the long term. Infrastructure New Zealand is an advertising sponsor of the Herald's Infrastructure report.
Scoop
a day ago
- Scoop
Extensive Infrastructure Upgrades To Futureproof Upper Clutha's Wastewater Needs
Upgrades to Hāwea, Wānaka, and Albert Town's wastewater infrastructure are set to begin in early September 2025, responding to and futureproofing Upper Clutha's wastewater needs, providing additional capacity across the network, and helping to further protect the natural environment too. Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) General Manager Property & Infrastructure, Tony Avery said the project would see an extensive range of work undertaken to improve local infrastructure and provide for current and future housing in the area. 'Existing infrastructure in Wānaka and Albert Town is fast approaching its capacity to effectively convey wastewater out to Project Pure Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), and as many in Hāwea will be aware, the township's treatment plant has reached capacity too,' said Mr Avery. To address these constraints, the Upper Clutha Wastewater Conveyance Scheme project will see a range of improvements made to the area's wastewater network, including: A new wastewater pump station (WWPS) at Domain Road in Hāwea 12.5km of new wastewater pipeline connecting Domain Road to existing infrastructure at the Albert Town WWPS Upgrades to the existing Riverbank Road WWPS 7.4km of new wastewater pipeline connecting Riverbank Road WWPS and Albert Town WWPS to Project Pure. 'These upgrades will see wastewater from the Hāwea township being treated and disposed of at Project Pure, enable future connection of Hāwea Flats and Hāwea Campground, and allow for flows from Wānaka and Albert Town to be managed by two pump stations,' added Mr Avery. 'Ultimately, the network will be able to handle Upper Clutha's wastewater needs well into the future, treatment and disposal will be improved, and the network will be more resilient in the event of any unforeseen issues.' Physical work on the Upper Clutha Wastewater Conveyance Scheme is expected to begin in September 2025, with construction anticipated to be completed by early 2027, nearly a year earlier than initially anticipated. Hāwea's existing wastewater treatment plant will be decommissioned once the township's new pump station and pipeline are operating. As with any large construction project some disruption is likely once work on these upgrades begins, and will include noise, vibration, traffic management, and increased construction machinery movements around various work sites between Hāwea, Albert Town, and Project Pure near Wānaka Airport. Large parts of the new pipeline running from Hāwea to Project Pure will be installed on the side of State Highway 6 (SH6) or within rural road corridors, meaning most of the project's impacts will be limited to sections of temporary traffic management. Other key impacts will include disruption on both Camphill Road Bridge and Albert Town Bridge when installation of the new pipeline occurs in these locations. A detailed delivery plan is currently being worked on by the Contractor, and more information about these works and what to expect will be shared once this is completed.
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Frankton floated as alternative site for new council headquarters
Frankton is a viable alternative to Queenstown's CBD for a new council headquarters, a consultants' report says. However, the community will not be consulted on the issue until next year. After discussing the report at a full meeting of the Queenstown Lakes District Council on Thursday, councillors agreed a draft consultation document would be considered by the next council at a workshop in the new year. That document is likely to present the two options as the Frankton Village/Five Mile corridor or the CBD. The report concluded the Five Mile corridor — the retail and commercial area extending from The Warehouse to Glenda Dr — was preferable for leasing, while "Frankton Village" was preferred for a new building, because the council already owned a suitable site. Repeated questioning by Cr Gavin Bartlett brought an admission by chief executive Mike Theelen that "Frankton Village" was shorthand for the Queenstown Events Centre site, and likely the playing fields at the site's eastern end. Cr Bartlett, who said that effectively made it "indistinguishable" from the Five Mile corridor, said he was "bamboozled" by the report. He asked why the council could not consult on build and lease options for all the locations, as well as the Remarkables Park retail and commercial zone. Mr Theelen said the consultants' report, which included a cost-benefit analysis comparing building-and-owning versus leasing over a 25-year period, had identified "value propositions" for each location, where either building or leasing was preferable. The report said the CBD offered strong civic identity and economic diversification beyond retail and hospitality. The decision means the council's long-running project to house its staff in a single building has been deferred to the next council, after October's local body elections. Staff are now spread across five different locations, and the leases on those buildings begin to expire in 2028. After a singular focus on the Stanley St site in the past few years, councillors directed staff earlier this year to compare it to sites outside the CBD. In 2019, the council proposed a joint venture with Ngāi Tahu Property, called Project Manawa, for the Stanley St site. Under that proposal, a new council headquarters would be the first stage of a development that also included a performing arts centre, gallery, library and commercial properties. However, no formal negotiations have taken place. The council's 10-year plan, passed last year, estimates the cost of the headquarters building alone at $60million.
