But the Dunedin District Licensing Committee says the decision to support longer opening hours at Starters Bar was made in line with updated policy which reflects changes over the past 20 years.
The bar, owned by the Otago University Students’ Association, was last week granted an extension of its hours and, instead of a midnight or 1am closing, is able to remain open until 3am following Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
Clive Hewitson owned Starters Bar from 1995 to 2000, when it was known as the Fat Ladies Arms, and said he was "shocked" to hear the bar had been granted an extension of hours.
He fought the same battle for extended opening hours in 1996 but lost.
When Mr Hewitson took over the bar it was able to open until 3am the following Fridays and Saturdays but, at a hearing before the district licensing committee in 1996, his application to keep this was changed to 12am and 1am closing times.
The reasons stated in the 1996 decision made by the liquor licensing authority were that the behaviour of patrons coming to and going from the tavern during later hours continued to "adversely affect" and inconvenience neighbouring residents.
Mr Hewitson said he had seen a "complete reversal".
"The reasons they opposed my application back then are still there, but suddenly it’s fine."
While the location of the bar had not changed and still had residential housing surrounding it, it does not seem to be an issue even though it was back then, he said.
"It's frustrating.
"They [the district licensing authority] have changed their minds just because it suits them.
"Nothing’s changed. It’s the same place. It still has residential housing all around it."
The licensing committee last year determined the premises was not "in or adjacent to" a residential area in 2019 as there was predominantly student accommodation around the site.
Mr Hewitson said he had hoped his bar would remain open for the same reason as OUSA, that students were safer in a controlled environment.
"While my reasoning didn't hold up then, it seems to now."
Mr Hewitson claimed he spent $100,000 in his fight to keep longer hours but did not succeed and, in the end, the bar was unsustainable to run without the profits gained from later opening hours.
Licensing committee chairman Colin Weatherall said it had different policies to follow today, including the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 and the local alcohol policy.
"We have a different set of guidelines now.
"We must follow the Act and have done so in our decision."
A community focus and minimising harm was the focus of all decisions the committee made, Mr Weatherall said.
"The world is not the same as it was then, though Mr Hewitson may feel the issues are similar. We have to deal with what we have now. In this case it’s unique.
"The three licensing bodies [police, the licensing inspector and the medical officer of health] were all in agreement that this was a step they wanted to take ... We are confident extended hours will be managed."
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Comments
So Mr Weatherall thinks licensing laws are more permissive now than in 1996. That's a good one!
"We have a different set of guidelines now" says Colin Weatherall, ofcourse the university now owning it has nothing to do with it
Of course not. That's just a mere coincidence.
Closer reading would have shown you that OUSA (Otago University Students Association) are in fact running the bar, not the University.
The complainants moved out and the patrons moved in!