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The Plan was adopted in May last year, but it has been appealed, meaning the District Licensing Committee (DLC) cannot take its policies into account until those appeals are resolved.
One of those policies is to put a two-year freeze on any new off-licences in Te Hana and Wellsford, followed by a permanent presumption against granting new off-licences after that.
However, Wellsford-registered Kudrat Holdings Ltd recently applied for a seven day off-licence to run Te Hana Liquor Store at 305-307 State Highway 1, between the GAS service station and the entrance to the Te Hana Te Ao Marama Maori Cultural Centre.
The application has prompted a number of local objections, including an online petition started by the Cultural Centre, and a DLC hearing into the application is due to be held as soon as a suitable date can be fixed.
Cultural Centre chief executive Thomas de Thierry says allowing an off-licence to open in Te Hana would be a major setback for the community.
“We’ve been going 17 years here. Back then we had all the social issues imaginable, and alcohol was a major contributory factor to the problems we had,” he says. “The town and the community came together and we’ve put a lot of years into tidying up our township.”
He says that allowing an off-licence to open in Te Hana now would set the township back and unravel all the good work that has been done in recent years.
“We get international visitors from around the world coming to us and thousands of schoolchildren. It’s not a good look when you’re trying to promote New Zealand and Maori culture, not a good look at all.”
At a community meeting held at the local marae to discuss the application, objections were also raised on traffic, parking and environmental grounds and the fact that there were already several liquor outlets in nearby Wellsford and Kaiwaka.
The shop in question was used in the past as an administration and training centre for the Cultural Centre, until they relocated to the marae two years ago. Thomas de Thierry says the building is now owned by a company whose directors are both former trustees of the Cultural Centre.
Neither they nor Kudrat Holdings responded to requests to speak to Mahurangi Matters.
Quotes from the online petitions:
“There is absolutely no need for a bottle shop in Te Hana. Wellsford has at least three, Kaiwaka has a bottle shop and other shops that sell beer and wine, the community does not want one. Listen to them, they know.”
“We have many in our area already. Not required. This doesn’t build communities.”
“I believe the last, and the very worst thing, Te Hana needs is a liquor outlet. It provides minimal employment opportunities to the community, increases social problems and ruins the vibe and feeling of a little rural, family village. What kind of image does it send tourists having a liquor outlet on the main road through NZ, next to a cultural centre. BAD idea, please do not allow it.
