Caversham Liquor will again come before Dunedin’s district licensing committee next week after its off-licence renewal application was opposed by police — for a second time.
Police first opposed the licence’s renewal in May 2023 due to concerns about the sale of single-unit, high-strength alcohol within what they considered a vulnerable community, as well as the store’s level of external advertising.
They now allege the store failed to comply with a directive from the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority (Arla) regarding its external advertising.
Owner Brenda Yee said they were being unfairly targeted.
‘‘We appear to be constantly harassed and targeted by police as an unsuitable licence holder.
‘‘In the past 23 years as a licensee in Caversham our suitability has never been attacked as inappropriate or brought into question.’’
She believed the store was being used to set a national precedent and said it felt like police were trying to close them down.
After police’s first opposition, the committee decided the store’s external advertising was unsuitable and gave them six months to remove any alcohol branding and lifestyle images.
However, it also decided ‘‘in this matter, it is appropriate to allow single-serve sales to take place’’ and granted the renewal.
Police appealed the committee’s decision and brought the matter before Arla at a hearing in May last year.
While police ultimately abandoned their appeal of the single-serve sales ruling, the store was hit with a 48-hour suspension as it had broken the law by not updating police that an acting manager was now the permanent manager.
A report to Dunedin’s district licensing committee said Arla had given the store three months to comply with an advertising condition amended at the hearing, which police alleged had not been complied with as of December last year.
In his report, alcohol harm prevention officer Sergeant Steve Jones said the licensee was ‘‘remiss of any notion of responsibility’’ and their application must fail.
‘‘The applicant clearly has no understanding of the wider harm caused by their external advertising and holds themselves above the direction of the authority.’’
Mrs Yee said she believed police had not just been opposing their licence — ‘‘they were trying to use us as a pawn to change the rules for their own agenda’’.
‘‘The pressure tactics used have been disappointing.’’
A police officer and a crown prosecutor had walked into the store a day before the Arla hearing ‘‘to exert pressure’’, she said.
‘‘Not only did this feel unethical — it felt like a trial by intimidation behind closed doors.
‘‘It is deeply concerning that public resources are being used to bully a compliant local small business in an attempt to set a national precedent.’’
Neither the city’s chief licensing inspector nor the medical officer of health delegate opposed the application themselves, but the latter did support police’s opposition.
A police spokesperson said it would be inappropriate for them to comment as the matter was before the committee.
A hearing has been scheduled for Thursday.
