Petition to end liquor monopoly

A group of West Aucklanders have launched an online petition to challenge the alcohol monopoly that prevents local residents buying wine or beer at supermarkets.

West Auckland Licensing Trust Action Group (Waltag) spokesman Nick Smale said the Portage and Waitakere Licensing Trusts had held a monopoly over hotels, taverns and bottle stores in West Auckland since the 1970s.

“The trusts have not kept up with the changing tastes of West Aucklanders and are not equipped to meet the needs of a modern and increasingly cosmopolitan city.

“There’s a distinct lack of local options for entertainment all over West Auckland. Many of us want to support local businesses, including bars, but we don’t have the venues — or many choices. People end up travelling into the city or elsewhere to spend

Key details

The online petition is at https://www.surveygizmo. com/s3/4500493/WestAuckland-Trusts-ActionGroup-Petition-2018

their money.” Smale said it had been 15 years since residents last voted, and he believed a referendum was needed ahead of the next local body elections.

“We need 15 per cent of voters in the Portage and Waitakere Licensing Trusts areas to sign the petition — that’s about 28,000 people. If we can achieve this it will force a referendum and allow West Aucklanders to have their say.” Smale said the group also questioned whether profits from alcohol sales were being distributed fairly back into the community.

The trusts’ website says they aim to put the responsible sale of alcohol in the hands of the community, which in turn own the trusts.

“The Trusts is a communityowned organisation that runs industry leading liquor retail stores and modern hospitality venues in West Auckland.

“Our profits go back to the community in the form of grants, sponsorships and donations.”

According to the Auckland Regional Public Health Service, West Auckland has the lowest incidence of alcoholrelated crashes in Auckland Council urban zone areas, the trusts’ website said. Drinkdriving prosecutions were also lower in the region.

It also quoted University of Otago’s Tim Chambers as saying: “The sale of alcohol through retail stores controlled by a licensing trust is an effective model for preventing childhood exposure to alcohol marketing.”

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