18 Jun 2014

Local board to vote on liquor appeal

9:59 am on 18 June 2014

Local politicians are preparing to appeal against a liquor licence granted to a new bottle shop directly opposite a South Auckland school.

The Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board will meet on Wednesday night to vote on the issue.

Chair Lydia Sosene said the vote would go ahead, despite a new legal opinion from the Auckland Council which said local boards did not have the authority to object to liquor licences.

"We were elected to stand as representatives for our community. I cannot ignore, in my role, the call to challenge the decision in appeal and I have been in close contact with our local board members who fell just as strong.

"We believe that we are doing our duty and obligation, as elected representatives, to speak out."

The Mangere community was angry and wanted action, Ms Sosene said.

The commonsense solution would be for council to authorise the city's 21 local boards to object to liquor licences on behalf of their communities, she said.

She had asked Auckland Mayor Len Brown for the council to delegate that authority to local boards.

"I am hopeful that the governing body will take what has happened in the last month into consideration and that the delegated authority councillors ... strongly consider and say 'yes'."