Glen Christiansen said it was only a matter of time before the township got its first liquor store.
The Cromwell resident, who owns five Super Liquor stores across Wānaka, Cromwell, Alexandra, Queenstown and Lorneville, Southland, had received strong community pushback on his proposal for a sixth in Lake Hāwea.
The store’s resource consent application to the Queenstown Lakes District Council received 538 objections from within and outside the Lake Hāwea community, which has a population of around 2000.
Mr Christiansen said the township was booming and if it was not his building going up, it would be another down the line, and it would not be of the same "high standard".
"It’s a beautiful building and yes we will be the first there.
"But our perspective is that Hāwea development [Longview] has proposed 2400 sections alone in its current subdivision and that means on its current rate Hāwea is going to have a population of around 7000, very quickly.”
"That means there is going to be a supermarket, a Night 'n Day, there is going to be so much industry."
Given none of his other five stores had any opposition, he was surprised by the amount of interest shown in this one.
"I am surprised at the amount of people outside the region that have submitted against it."
When he built the Cromwell Super Liquor in the late 1980s, the township was smaller than Hāwea is now.
"I think a liquor store would be great there and the standard will add to the community and I know some won't agree with my view."
A strong opponent of the store was Lake Hāwea Voices spokeswoman Lisa Riley.
"For people living in this development struggling with their relationship with alcohol, this puts it right at their front door," Ms Riley said.
"This is something that they're going to see multiple times a day, whether they're out walking around in their neighbourhood or whether they're coming home from work."
Among Ms Riley's concerns was the proposed store's proximity to a children's playground and school bus stop.
Lake Hāwea already had three other off-licensed liquor venues, she said.
But Mr Christiansen said he was experienced with working in a small community.
"We are beside a church in Wānaka.
"We are opposite a playground in Alexandra and have been longer than 20 years.
"We work with the community and it has never been an issue," he said.
"I know that people want to protect their little bit of paradise and I respect that, but industry will come.
"We want to support the community and I think what we are proposing to do there is a sensational building that looks exceptional.
"We have had a lot of support from the community, it is just not the vocal support."
Several objections to the store mentioned the "single sale" of alcohol.
Since then, the consent has been adjusted to exclude single sales.
"We did take time to read the submissions and people put in their own comments in and we did take time to read those."
He said the argument of being near schools — or youths getting alcohol more easily — was flawed.
"We get audited by Super Liquor Holdings, so we have to have visual lights, security cameras and we are held to a standard.
"We have all the steps, to protect our staff, it is a huge fine.
"The laws are not conducive to serving ‘under-agers’."
Alcohol servers can be fined $10,000 if found to be guilty of serving anyone under the age of 18 (last month Liquorland in Wānaka was issued a fine for serving a youth).
Mr Christiansen said it had been over eight years since any of his own stores were fined for serving youths.
Super Liquor chief executive Morgan McCann said he had been surprised by the level of opposition to the store.
"The franchisees applying for the Lake Hāwea licence are really reputable, long-standing franchisees who live locally in the area," Mr McCann said.
"So we are a bit surprised at the level of opposition.
"We have seen opposition before but not that level from a small community like that."
The council is yet to set a date for a hearing on the liquor store.
