A decision on whether alcoholic beverages can be sold at a Central Otago fruit stall should be known this month.
Suncrest Orchard Ltd has applied for land use consent to operate an off-licence selling wine and fruit port at the Jones Family Fruit Stall, on State Highway 6, near Cromwell.
The application was considered by the Central Otago District Council's hearing panel yesterday.
The panel would notify its decision within three weeks.
If approved, the company will apply to the Central Otago District Licensing Committee for an off-licence.
Up to 50 tourist buses and service coaches stop at the stall every day during summer, the application said. Numbers dropped to 10-20 buses a day in winter.
Twelve permanent full-time staff were employed, as well as up to eight casual staff.
Council planning consultant David Whitney said although retail sales were permitted in that zone, alcohol was excluded.
Mr Whitney said the stall had operated for more than 30 years and the applicant sold fruit, vegetables, ice creams, fruit drinks and soft drinks.
Fruit which would usually be discarded would be used for the fruit port.
Both the wine and the port would be made off-site, at a Cromwell winery and under the applicant's label.
Under the revised district plan in 1998, rural retail facilities were allowed to sell fresh fruit and vegetables, jams, sauces and preserves, nuts, dried fruit, honey, eggs and cold drinks.
The stall was ''... a substantial rural selling place which attracts significant volumes of tourist traffic'' Mr Whitney said.
The sale of wine and fruit port would have minimal effect on the environment and no additional buildings or extensions were proposed.
It would expand the range of products offered to visitors and use waste fruit.
Although the district plan rule excluded the sale of alcohol, the sale of fruit port and wine in this instance would not compromise the integrity of the plan, Mr Whitney said.
It was complementary to the other items offered for sale.
He recommended consent be granted, subject to conditions about how the fruit port and wine was to be marketed and sold.
The application was not publicly notified.
