A "small bottle" of wine for $6, or $5 per glass, and $4.50 for an RTD were among the options listed on a drinks menu for the exclusive inner-city club.
The operating practices of the "Dunedin City Council Social Club" were revealed ahead of a hearing for its opposed club licence renewal.
Located in the Civic Centre, it was first licensed in 1991 and no issues had been identified with its operations to date, a report to Dunedin’s district licensing committee said.
It is not accessible to members of the public.
The sole objection to the licence came from public objector Scott Stucki, who has previously been linked to Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) Otepoti.
In a letter addressed to the committee, Mr Stucki said he was concerned about the operation of the club licence and regulatory oversight of it.
The application documents lacked quality and detail "to the level that if any other applicant were to provide similar documents they would likely be subject to scrutiny and opposition by the agencies".
The "concerningly low prices for alcohol", as included in the application documents, would also likely be considered to undermine liquor laws were they offered by any other club or on-licence in Dunedin, Mr Stucki said.
Those application documents, among others supplied to the committee, said the club was managed by a committee of between four and 15 people, who were also rostered behind the bar.
Only people employed by either the council or council-owned entities were entitled to become members of the social club.
It also held bingo, bookclub and cooking classes among other organised events.
Financial statements said the club recorded a total income of $21,072 in the year to April this year, making $7184 from bar sales.
Mr Stucki said it was not unfair to expect a considered effort to ensure the licensing operations, processes and documents of the social club "would be the exemplar to set the standard for all other alcohol licensees in Dunedin".
"This is clearly not the case."
The application lacked "fundamentally basic materials", such as a food menu, and he believed a lack of access and capacity to monitor the premises was a feasible explanation for the "critically substandard documentation", he said.
A council spokesman said they disagreed with Mr Stucki’s characterisation of and concerns about the social club.
The club was "about much more than just alcohol", but they would not litigate his claims ahead of the hearing.
"The hearing provides the opportunity for both sides of the issue to be considered in detail and with impartiality."
Neither police, the medical officer of health delegate nor the council’s chief licensing inspector opposed the renewal of the club licence.
A hearing has been scheduled for later this month.
