Council Stalwart Retires

North Shore City Council's liquor licensing inspector, Pat Cudby, is retiring after 17 years with the council.

Mrs Cudby started with Northcote Borough as a rates clerk when her role included managing the dinghy lockers at Northcote Point and receiving rent from tenants of council-owned pensioner housing.

"I loved the people contact and got to know the elderly tenants so if someone did not turn up on rent day, we would often visit to make sure they were all right," she says.

Local Government amalgamation in 1989 saw the formation of the District Licensing Agency. Pat Cudby was appointed assistant liquor licensing officer, which involved visiting hundreds of outlets so licensed premises could be identified and recorded in a database. Since 1991 the number of licensed premises in North Shore City has grown from 252 to 440. Mrs Cudby was appointed liquor licensing inspector in 1993.

"Quite literally, I think the leg work we did back then put us in a good position to build and maintain relationships with licensees, and I have tried to maintain this people contact ever since. I have always seen the role of inspector as one of advising and educating rather than enforcement," she says .

Pat Cudby was instrumental in working with Devonport Food and Wine Festival organisers and the Police over a three-year period to bring about a BYO liquor ban to ensure the future of the event was not jeopardised by a few irresponsible tipplers.

"It is a challenge to find the right balance between people's rights to enjoy a drink and a good time with the right of others who want to be assured their community is safe and clean," she says.

Mrs Cudby intends to maintain her involvement in the community through her role as a Justice of the Peace and marriage celebrant. She is hoping that retirement will also allow time to travel, develop her interest in embroidery and spend more time with family.

Pat Cudby is succeeded by Andrew McMath who takes up the role of liquor licensing inspector from August 15.

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