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Otago Daily Times
10 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Liquor store hit by students drinking less
A North Dunedin liquor store owner says his business has been hit by students consuming less alcohol. Leith Liquorland was up before a district licensing committee yesterday for an application to renew its off-licence. The application faced objections from police, Ministry of Health delegate Anthony Whipp, and Bede Crestani, the father of University of Otago student Sophia Crestani who died at a Dunedin flat party in 2019, over its proposed trading hours. The store is licensed to sell alcohol between 9am and 10pm, seven days a week, but the objectors wanted that to be reduced to 9pm. During the hearing, committee chairman Colin Weatherall said while he understood the need for the committee to focus on issues relating to alcohol harm, he felt there needed to be a wider discussion about issues such as drug-related harm. Leith Liquorland owner Chris Hart agreed. "It's a huge frustration as a retailer. "Five years ago, I didn't know what MDMA was." When the ODT later asked him to clarify his "frustration", Mr Hart said it was a frustration "that all these things get brought into the same conversation when they're totally different". Alcohol harm prevention officer Sergeant Steve Jones said the changing drug landscape was outside the remit of the committee's decision-making, but needed to be mentioned. "I think as a collective, the agencies and the licensed premises community, building awareness around the impact of drugs and providing education is the way forward." Mr Hart agreed and pointed to research that showed young people were drinking less. Asked whether the decline in young people drinking had led to a decline in sales, Mr Hart said this was the case. In his opening statement, Mr Hart told the committee he was a "safety first" retailer who cared about the community and viewed his liquor licence "as a privilege, not a right". He said he was a proactive retailer who took measures to minimise harm, such as not selling single-serve alcohol, and taking steps to remove all Nitro 1.5 litre drinks from the premises a few years ago due to health concerns. He said "75%" of alcohol at the store was sold in cans as opposed to glass bottles, while the staff had regular refresher training about their responsibilities. Asked about the potential for more harm if the store was open for longer, Mr Hart said he dealt with "more refusals" between 4pm and 7pm than he did from 9pm to 10pm. Serious incidents were dealt with, but "nine times out 10" these people did not cause much trouble after they were warned or refused entry. He did not operate every night until 10pm, he said. Mr Crestani told the committee recent emergency department data showed higher presentation numbers when off-licences were open for longer. He asked for a closing time of 9pm, but also said there needed to be a national approach to such issues, and more of a level playing field. "What I've seen in the applicant's document is that he is a good operator." Sgt Jones said there were "high levels of trust and confidence in the applicant". However, he said the area he operated in had "high vulnerability". The broader community had made it clear they had issues with broken glass, Sgt Jones said. He also focused on the proposed operating hours and hinted at the prevalence of alcohol-fuelled poor behaviour after 9pm. The committee reserved its decision.
Otago Daily Times
15 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
More than alcohol the issue — owner
Leith Liquorland. PHOTO: ODT FILES A North Dunedin liquor store owner says his business has been hit by students consuming less alcohol. Leith Liquorland was up before a district licensing committee yesterday for an application to renew its off-licence. The application faced objections from police, Ministry of Health delegate Anthony Whipp, and Bede Crestani, the father of University of Otago student Sophia Crestani who died at a Dunedin flat party in 2019, over its proposed trading hours. The store is licensed to sell alcohol between 9am and 10pm, seven days a week, but the objectors wanted that to be reduced to 9pm. Chris Hart. PHOTO: ODT FILES During the hearing, committee chairman Colin Weatherall said while he understood the need for the committee to focus on issues relating to alcohol harm, he felt there needed to be a wider discussion about issues such as drug-related harm. Leith Liquorland owner Chris Hart agreed. "It's a huge frustration as a retailer. "Five years ago, I didn't know what MDMA was." When the ODT later asked him to clarify his "frustration", Mr Hart said it was a frustration "that all these things get brought into the same conversation when they're totally different". Alcohol harm prevention officer Sergeant Steve Jones said the changing drug landscape was outside the remit of the committee's decision-making, but needed to be mentioned. "I think as a collective, the agencies and the licensed premises community, building awareness around the impact of drugs and providing education is the way forward." Mr Hart agreed and pointed to research that showed young people were drinking less. Asked whether the decline in young people drinking had led to a decline in sales, Mr Hart said this was the case. In his opening statement, Mr Hart told the committee he was a "safety first" retailer who cared about the community and viewed his liquor licence "as a privilege, not a right". He said he was a proactive retailer who took measures to minimise harm, such as not selling single-serve alcohol, and taking steps to remove all Nitro 1.5 litre drinks from the premises a few years ago due to health concerns. He said "75%" of alcohol at the store was sold in cans as opposed to glass bottles, while the staff had regular refresher training about their responsibilities. Asked about the potential for more harm if the store was open for longer, Mr Hart said he dealt with "more refusals" between 4pm and 7pm than he did from 9pm to 10pm. Serious incidents were dealt with, but "nine times out 10" these people did not cause much trouble after they were warned or refused entry. He did not operate every night until 10pm, he said. Mr Crestani told the committee recent emergency department data showed higher presentation numbers when off-licences were open for longer. He asked for a closing time of 9pm, but also said there needed to be a national approach to such issues, and more of a level playing field. "What I've seen in the applicant's document is that he is a good operator." Sgt Jones said there were "high levels of trust and confidence in the applicant". However, he said the area he operated in had "high vulnerability". The broader community had made it clear they had issues with broken glass, Sgt Jones said. He also focused on the proposed operating hours and hinted at the prevalence of alcohol-fuelled poor behaviour after 9pm. The committee reserved its decision.
