Wests pins hopes on National MPs
A SOUTH Dunedin soft drinks company hopes a little political assistance will go a long way in its fight to regain a liquor licence.
Wests (NZ) Ltd has been trying unsuccessfully to regain its offlicence to sell alcohol since its application was denied by the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority in late 2016.
Because less than 85% of Wests’ revenue was generated from sales of alcohol, it was unable to retain its offlicence to sell alcohol.
But help could come in the form of an National MP’s members’ Bill.
Dunedin list MP Michael Woodhouse has added an amendment to fellow National MP Chris Bishop’s members’ Bill which would allow shops and restaurants to hold both an onlicence and an offlicence.
Mr Woodhouse’s amendment would exclude revenue generated from the sale of items manufactured on site from being considered in offlicence applications.
Members’ Bills are introduced by MPs who are not ministers and a placed on a ballot list then drawn at random.
Mr Woodhouse said he acknowledged it was National who passed the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 which lead to issue Wests was facing.
‘‘We own the problem. We created it and now were trying to fix it.’’
Mr Woodhouse said he hoped the Bill would be taken up by the Government so it did not become ‘‘stuck’’ in the members’ Bill process.
The 2012 Bill was never meant to affect businesses like Wests, he said.
Wests director Alf Loretan was optimistic about the amendment but understood the practicalities of the Bill process.
‘‘In the bigger scheme of things, I can understand just a few little businesses like us aren’t going to be the top priority, but at least it’s being acknowledged as being an oversight and it’s up to Parliament now.’’
Last year Mr Loretan and Simon Berry, chief executive of Oamaru company Whitestone Cheese, wrote to Minister of Justice Andrew Little asking the Government to consider amending the Act to allow for more flexibility in approving licences.
In a letter to the pair, Mr Little said the issue had been referred to officials to consider as part of any future changes to legislation.
Mr Little’s office did not respond to questions send by the Otago Daily
yesterday.