An application for the renewal of an on-licence for the Speight’s Heritage Centre has been opposed by Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) Ōtepoti.
The applicant, Lion NZ Ltd, took over operations at the Rattray St brewery in about 1977 and was not looking to make any changes to its licence, a report to Dunedin’s district licensing committee said.
The licence allowed it to offer tastings at the end of tours of the brewery and to host various functions, and there had been no issues associated with the premises.
Neither the police, medical officer of health nor the licensing inspector opposed the licence renewal.
In its objection letter, SSDP Ōtepoti president Max Phillips said they believed Lion NZ Ltd was unsuitable to hold a licence, given their contribution to the "onslaught of alcohol marketing during Flo and O Week".
It had targeted students by repainting "The Dairy" - a former corner dairy turned flat on Castle St - with advertising for the Hyoketsu brand of RTD (ready-to-drink) beverages.
Lion NZ is the only producer and distributor of Hyoketsu in the country, which is owned by Japanese beverage company Kirin.
"We believe the applicant’s decision to market and promotion of their Hyoketsu RTD brand in this irresponsible way, in an irresponsible location, and with both irresponsible and unsafe timing, created further pressure for students to drink, and encouraged excessive and unsafe consumption of alcohol in our extremely vulnerable community."
It was "blindingly obvious" the applicant had no real understanding of the alcohol-related harm that occurred in North Dunedin, or they would not have chosen to advertise the beverage at that place and time, Mr Phillips said.
The group acknowledged that the Speight's Heritage Centre was of "great value to Dunedin" and formed a part of the city’s history.
The basis for the objection was not with the premises itself, but with the applicant’s suitability and the additional harm its "predatory alcohol marketing has caused within the vulnerable student community at a time where members of our community were most at risk of increased alcohol-related harm", Mr Phillips said.
A Lion NZ spokesperson said the Speight’s Heritage Centre was run to a high standard with "excellent staff, training, and systems in place, and an exemplary record of compliance".
"Out of respect for the process, we won’t be commenting further while the licence application hearing is under way," the spokesperson said.
A meeting of Dunedin’s district licensing committee has been scheduled for Friday.
