Dunedin Fine Wines & Spirits wants to renew its liquor licence, but two student-led advocacy groups — Students For Sensible Drug Policy Aotearoa (SSDP) and Hold On To Your Friends (HOTYF) — have been denied the chance to participate in the district licensing committee hearing in Dunedin scheduled for October 12.
Bede Crestani, whose daughter, Sophia, died in a house party in 2019, said the Sophia Charter was established in 2020 precisely to address issues around alcohol consumption and safety among Dunedin students.
The charter was signed by the University of Otago, Otago University Students’ Association, the police, the Dunedin City Council, Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the Otago Property Investors Association, to focus on student safety and wellbeing.
‘‘The decline of student bars and the rise of off-licences selling cheap alcohol has resulted in a rise in student alcohol-related harm which contributed to the death of our daughter, Sophia, in 2019 at a large gathering of many intoxicated young people at a student flat in North Dunedin,’’ Mr Crestani said.
‘‘We totally support the actions of SSDP and HOTYF, which has been formed as a student-led initiative in association with the Sophia Charter, the aim of which is to support students to ensure a safer environment.
‘‘It is extremely naive to suggest that student alcohol-related harm is not related to off-licences located within and around North Dunedin and therefore SSDP and HOTYF do have a greater interest than the public generally and should be able to participate in the hearing.’’
HOTYF spokeswoman Louisa Mason said the organisation wanted to have honest conversations about student harm.
‘‘We want to facilitate a safer student culture that works with them and not against them,’’ Ms Mason said.
‘‘We would prefer that off-licences would shut earlier, it’s not about closing them down entirely.’’
‘‘We want to see students enjoy themselves in a more supervised and regulated environment.’’
Ms Mason said her group recently did an impromptu survey of customers outside Dunedin Fine Wines & Spirits, and discovered up to 70% of their evening customers were under the age of 24.
‘‘They say their main customers are office workers and tourists, in particular cruise ship passengers, and yet they’re open noon to 8pm on weekdays, and until 10pm on weekends,’’ she said.
‘‘I don’t think many office workers would be visiting the store at that time of the evening.’’
The minute issued by the district licensing said ‘‘the onus is on the objector to establish they have a greater interest than the public generally’’.
‘‘There is insufficient evidence before the committee to establish this,’’ the committee said.
Ms Mason said she could not understand this response, and SSDP and HOTYF had both filed an application to be reconsidered.
‘‘We know there is genuine alcohol harm caused to students by these off-licences.’’
The committee’s minute said Sgt Steve Jones did not oppose the groups’ participation.
District licensing committee commissioner Colin Weatherall said the committee was likely to release a decision early next week on whether SSDP and HOTYF could participate in the October 12 hearing.
