For around sixty years Featherston’s Kia Ora Dairy has served the western side of the town’s sweets, ice cream and supplementary grocery needs. One morning, to everyone’s surprise, a sign van arrived, the Tip Top signs pulled down and replaced with ‘Rimutaka Liquor’. The dairy had been transformed into a liquor outlet.
Featherston is already well served with a liquor outlet and supermarket both owned by Trust House which has a very responsible marketing policy. Neither alco-pops or cheap brands of beer are promoted.
In short, people wanting a wine to enjoy with their meal, or some beer for a barbeque or while watching a rugby test are already well catered for. The only ‘market’ is young people looking for cheap alcohol. As a result of this new outlet Featherston can surely look forward to increased broken glass in the parks, vandalism and graffiti.
Martinborough is in a very similar situation, even now somebody may be eyeing up an opportunity to open just such an establishment here – who knows? The message has to be; learn from Featherston – don’t be caught out.
Any company wishing to establish such an operation must apply for a liquor licence with the application being published in the public notices in the daily paper. This is a long, boring notice of which there are usually many. Along with annual liquor licences for outlets, restaurants, clubs and bars there are others for taxi , land agents and auctioneers. Who peruses them all?
Our Councillors will be aware of any such liquor application and, hopefully, could be expected to make residents aware of it, canvas opinions and have these brought to the licensing authority’s attention. Likewise the Community Board, as the community’s sounding board, should be made aware of any such application.
Any resident, group or organisation which does not agree with the issuing of such a licence or wished to have it subject to provisions may register these. However if the application slides through unnoticed these resident’s ‘rights’ are of no moment.
The main thing is to be aware, don’t be caught on the hop like your neighbouring town.
Mike Beckett
