Yesterday, Health New Zealand (HNZ) medical officer of health Dr Michael Butchard told a Wānaka hearing the proposed Lake Hāwea Super Liquor store would likely increase alcohol-related harm in the area.
The bottle shop proposed by Keyrouz Holdings Ltd attracted a record 538 opposing submissions and two in support — Lake Hāwea has a population of about 2300.
Dr Butchard said he was not surprised at the level of opposition: it was a "reasonable response" given alcohol-related harm nationwide, he told the Queenstown Lakes district licensing committee of Chris Cooney (chairman), John Mann and Lyal Cocks.
"Given there’s no GP in Hāwea . . . a bottle store before a GP is not the right order."
Lake Hāwea was considered a vulnerable population, Dr Butchard said. While it was not deemed economically deprived, it already experienced a youth binge-drinking culture, heavy episodic drinking by adults and geographic isolation from medical services.
"So increasing availability of alcohol, including high-strength alcohol, is likely to increase alcohol harm, not minimise it."
Mr Cocks asked what Dr Butchard or HNZ was doing to advance health services in Lake Hāwea.
"We’d love to have a medical centre out there," he said.
Dr Butchard said he could play a role in advocating but the question was better directed to other branches of HNZ.
Primary objector Lisa Riley, of Lake Hāwea, said the township did not have the infrastructure to absorb more alcohol-related incidents.
A recent ram-raid at the applicant’s Super Liquor Remarkables Park store proved risk to community was not hypothetical, she said.
Police charged a youth and are seeking others after a stolen vehicle was driven through the Queenstown store’s shopfront and $900 of alcohol was taken about 2.15am on Monday.
"Kids deserve to feel safe going to bed, not lying awake wondering if someone might ram through their local store or their home to steal alcohol," Ms Riley said.
"In a community with no police station or immediate emergency response, the trauma from a single event like that would ripple through families."
Ms Riley had already signalled intent to appeal to the High Court if the proposal was approved.
"This is not about prohibition. It is about the law doing what Parliament intended, protecting families, children and communities from predictable harm," she said, to applause from the public gallery of about 25 people.
Applicant counsel John Young addressed the "unfortunate" ram-raid when the hearing began on Wednesday, saying police responded quickly and the applicant co-operated fully.
"Additional bollards will be put in place and learnings that are gained from this experience will be applied to the Hāwea premises."
The community was not exposed to damage, he said.
On Wednesday, Keyrouz Holdings-owned Gate Group chief executive Glen Christiansen said it was a question of when, not if, a bottle store would open in Lake Hawea.
In total, 27 objectors are expected to speak against the proposal; police and the council’s alcohol inspector are also scheduled to speak today.
The hearing is expected to finish today when parties provide closing submissions to the committee. A decision will be released in writing.
