ALAC welcomes high court dismissal of liquor licence appeal

The Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC) has welcomed a High Court decision refusing to overturn a Liquor Licensing Authority’s (LLA) decision round a convenience store’s liquor licence.

In December last year the LLA said Victoria Night 'n Day Foodstore in Christchurch was not a grocery store and would probably have its liquor licence application declined when it came up for renewal unless the company changed the nature of its business.

The company appealed the decision but the appeal has been dismissed by the High Court.

“The licensing of convenience stores is too far removed from the original intent of the Sale of Liquor Act,” said ALAC Chief Executive Officer Gerard Vaughan
“The relevant section of the Act was to allow grocery stores, like supermarkets, the ability to offer customers shopping for food, groceries and other household items, the ability to purchase alcohol at the same time.

“Parliament never envisaged licensing a myriad of outlets, which are in the business of selling convenience items such as chippies, soft drinks and open 24 hours a day seven days a week, also being given a licence to sell alcohol.”