Excerpts from the Liquor Licensing Authority's annual reports, 1996, 1996

Liquor licensing is social legislation: it involves more than planning issues. The wider views of the public, particularly in the proposed area of the licence, need to be considered, case by case. A broader assessment than the mere ‘suitability’ of the licensee and the zoning of the premises is possibly required.

Where an applicant for a licence is not required to obtain a notified Resource Consent, the first opportunity local residents or business people have to make their views known is when the matter comes before the LLA. At that stage the Authority usually listens to the objectors concerns and responds that it is powerless to do anything about them because of the very limited and specific criteria that the Authority is directed to have regard to by ss.13. 35 and 55 of the Act…

• Should the Authority have a discretion to refuse a licence on grounds other than the suitability of the applicant?
• Should the criteria that the Authority has to have regard to in considering any application for a licence specifically include the object of the Act set out at s.4(1)

Liquor Licensing Authority, Annual report 1996: 2

It must obviously be somewhat frustrating to objectors to note the Authority repeatedly saying that we are aware of the objector’s concerns but we are not empowered to respond to them.

Kulwat Singh LLA 1770/93; reiterated Pratap LLA 1669/94

and Liquor Licensing Authority, Annual report 1996: 3