MEDIA STATEMENT, September 19, 2012

Local Board Fights Against Alcohol Abuse

The Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board of Auckland Council voted unanimously last night, to continue objecting to any new applications for off-license liquor and renewals of existing off- license premises anywhere in Otara and Papatoetoe.

The local board, which has more than 42 liquor off license outlets for a population of 80,000, was recently the subject of a TV news item because of liquor-related problems.

Chairman John McCracken, said all Local Board members supported the reduction of operating hours of liquor outlets from the current 7am- 11pm seven days a week, to 10am- 8pm, six days a week and banned sales on Sundays.

He said there are shop owners with no staff who are operating their stores for 119 hours a week which is an unsafe practice.

"Not only is the current liquor legalisation the catalyst for all kinds of harm in our communities, it is encouraging people to work excessively long hours and probably breaking some type of health and safety regulations.”

"The current legislation was written without any knowledge of the strategies liquor companies apply to the sale of their products. They have sophisticated tactics such as saturation marketing, which shows that more liquor outlets sell more liquor. They don't just share the same number of customers. They create new customers.”

Mr McCracken said the Local Board's resolution currently has no legal teeth to apply in the community but the support of the city's neighbouring southern Local Boards will be sought to send a message to Parliament.

"Our communities have had a pretty raw deal from Government in the past decade with liberal liquor laws and complete removal of any restraint for street sex workers.”

"We desperately need to restore peaceful balance in our communities by correcting these two pieces of legislation". ENDS

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