A Bluff tavern has been given the green light to continue selling alcohol despite strong pushback from multiple agencies.
By Matthew Rosenberg of Local Democracy Reporting
Last month, Golden Age Tavern was the subject of an Invercargill District Licensing Committee hearing after Police, the Medical Officer of Health and the licensing inspector opposed its licence application.
Issues raised included poor staffing, no courtesy coach, a lack of systems, and unidentifiable food in the freezer.
But the licencing committee has granted it another life, using just 15 of its 20 allowed working days to issue a shortened 12-month licence.
Committee chairman Darren Ludlow acknowledged in a report that the issues raised by agencies were relevant and had merit.
"It is extremely concerning to us that these issues were all raised with Mr Low at his last renewal and he at best has simply not got around to it or worst he has thumbed his nose at the Act and the reporting agencies as well as this Committee," Ludlow wrote.
"We will give Mr Low the benefit of doubt on this occasion but he should be left with a very clear impression such benefit will not occur again should this situation arise at the next renewal."
The report showed issues raised by alcohol harm prevention officer sergeant Hayden McNaught and others were not new, and had not been sorted despite promises they would be.
Some of the concerns were addressed at the hearing, where applicant Tony Low received assistance from employee Rochelle Kellor and neighbouring restaurateur Hayley-Chanel Simeon.
The report said Kellor and Simeon were of "great assistance" to the committee as they considered the application; the pair had confirmed they were willing to help Low address the issues.
New licences mean Golden Age Tavern will be able to sell liquor every day of the week from 8am to 1am onsite, and from 7am to 11pm at its bottle store, with no provision for random site checks — a request of delegated medical officer of health Stephanie Bekhuis-Pay.
Invercargill District Licencing Committee consists of councillors Ludlow, Ria Bond and Andrea de Vries.
The three members declared at the April 29 hearing that they knew Simeon but had not discussed the subject with her.
Low is one of five directors for Golden Age (2018) Ltd and has indicated the tavern may soon be up for sale.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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