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The local board has asked that local businesses be consulted before it considers granting approval for a mobile ice cream vendor to operate in Orewa Reserve car park this summer.
At its meeting on July 18, members of the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board told Council staff that this consultation should have taken place before the application was brought before them for approval.
The applicant, Judith Webby, wants to sell whipped fresh fruit ice cream for a trial period of three months from December to February, 11am to 4pm for a maximum of five days per week, locating her van at the northern end of the car park.
Council’s land use advisor Raewyn Sendles told the local board that the applicant is a local, who feels it would be safer for children to have to cross the highway from the beach to local stores to get ice cream.
However, chair Julia Parfitt said with several businesses in the area already selling ice cream, as well as Orewa Surf Club, consultation was needed – including with the surf club and the business organisation, Destination Orewa Beach.
Towards the end of last year, Super Kool Ice Cream’s application to operate its van from Orewa and Stanmore Bay Reserve car parks as a trial over summer was approved by the board. However, this licence was not taken up, Raewyn said, because the van broke down.
In relation to Super Kool’s proposal, Council staff told the local board members that a High Court ruling had established that competition cannot be used as a reason to decline such an application.
The local board does however have the power to decline a licence application, without giving a reason, if it chooses to do so.
