The decision comes as supermarkets are in the spotlight for supplying single-serve high-octane alcohol at cheap prices.
The Dunedin district licensing committee said in a seven-page decision Pak’nSave Dunedin, in Hillside Rd, was fit to renew its liquor licence.
The committee said it would not impose the condition sought by police, because of a lack of evidence that showed the sale of single-serve units of beer contributed to alcohol-related harm.
In fact, the decision stated the contrary, that banning the sale of such units could actually increase alcohol-related harm.
"The sale of a single unit of beer or cider could be considered a form of reducing alcohol-related harm.
"Such a condition would force customers to purchase multi-packs of alcohol, which would allow them to consume several units of alcohol if not the whole pack, compared with the single unit if the condition was not imposed."
Police opposed the renewal of the supermarket’s licence over concerns over the sale of high-strength, single-serve alcohol at cheap prices.
Police recommended the imposition of two conditions on the supermarket’s licence — no external advertising or promotion of alcohol, and no single-serve sales of beer, cider or RTDs in containers sized 500ml or less, excluding craft beers.
Pak’nSave’s lawyer said the conditions proposed by police were "unreasonable" and there was no evidence that small, low-volume, single-serve sales caused harm.
The committee said it did not consider external advertising and promotion as "being relevant" to the supermarket’s licence.
In a separate hearing under way, Countdown Dunedin Central was put under the microscope facing similar police concerns.
The public was excluded for much of the hearing on Friday, when the applicants and the committee discussed health and safety policies, and the welfare of Countdown staff.
Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) Ōtepoti supported police objections to the renewal of Countdown’s licence.
Bede Crestani and Elspeth McMillan, parents of Sophia Crestani who died at a student party several years ago, supported concerns about easily accessible alcohol at Dunedin supermarkets, speaking up for the students’ concerns.
For Countdown, police sought the same ban on high-strength single-serve beer as they did at Pak’nSave. They also sought establishment of a restricted area within the supermarket.
This meant people under the age of 18 could not enter the designated area where alcohol was displayed.
Sergeant Steve Jones, of Dunedin, said this would combat shoplifters and reduce minors’ exposure to alcohol.
"The number of minors stealing alcohol from this premises is voluminous," he said.
"Having a restricted area on this premises would not only stop that from happening, it would put good control measures in place on behalf of the licensee to protect its staff as well."
Countdown lawyer Allison Arthur-Young said a restricted area in a busy supermarket such as Countdown could have unintended consequences.
Parents might have to leave their child unattended while they fetched a bottle from the alcohol area, she said.
Committee chairman Colin Weatherall said the agencies had until July 17 and Countdown and SSDP until July 19 to submit their closures in writing, before a decision could be made.
Tim Scott, PIJF cadet reporter
