Roskill Community Voice is joining other community members to opposing the application for a new off-licence bottle store at 509 Mt Albert Rd, Three Kings.

"Our community has more than enough off-licences already, and this shop would be a large format Super Liquor, where previously there was a large bed shop," said Shail Kaushal spokesperson for Roskill Community Voice.

"We know that alcohol harm is real and that both a high density of off-licences and easy supply can contribute to that harm. We don't want to make this worse in Three Kings," said Mr Kaushal.

Roskill Community Voice worked with the local Member of Parliament for Mt Roskill, Michael Wood, to assist the local community to submit at least 33 objections to the application by the 14th September deadline, including holding a public meeting attended by over 30 people on 7th September. There is also an ongoing online petition to oppose the application, which has over 260 signatures currently.

Mr Wood and Roskill Community Voice are holding a second public meeting this Friday, 12th October, at 7pm in the Fickling Centre, underneath Mt Roskill Library and opposite the proposed site, to help people prepare for the hearing process and plan other ways to show the strong community opposition to a new Super Liquor in Three Kings.

Reasons for opposing any new bottle stores in Three Kings include:

Current density of off-licences - There are at least eleven existing off-licences within 2km of the site, including two within a short walk (at the Countdown across the road from the site and at Three Kings Liquor, 501D Mt Albert Rd).

• Existing anti-social behavior in the area - noise, nuisance and vandalism in the immediate area, and violence outside a nearby on-licence across the road.

• Large number of sensitive sites nearby - In the surrounding 2 kms there are at least 12 schools, 9 ECE centres and 10 places of worship, and also other sites of cultural importance such as Te Tatua A Riukiuta (Big King, a maunga), Pah Homestead (a heritage house and art gallery), the Mt Roskill Library, and Ranfurly Retirement Village (which is also a war memorial).

"We have had a lot of concern from the community about this application and we will stand with the Three Kings community to speak up against the alcohol harm," said Mr Kaushal.

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