Drunken school fights spark liquor store fears

Drunk parents fighting and verbally abusing each other outside a rural North Canterbury school have prompted a principal to speak out against a proposed liquor shop in the town.

Nearly 100 submissions were received by the Hurunui District Licensing Committee ahead of a three-day hearing to decide whether Thirsty Liquor will be allowed to operate in the main street of Amberley – about 46 kilometres north of Christchurch.

Of those submitters, 20 spoke in front of a packed public gallery and overflow meeting room.

Amberley School principal Simon Green told the hearing his decile 7 school was vulnerable, and he could see the effects of alcohol on the community from a very real perspective.

‘‘We have increasing instances of parents who are under the influence of alcohol when they drop off and collect their children from school,’’ Green said.

‘‘We have even had drunk parents fighting and verbally abusing each other outside the school gate.’’

Librarian Yolanda Turnbull said the number of people who had taken the time to write a formal submission, and to attend the hearing, suggested the Thirsty Liquor application had very little support.

Counsel for the applicant, Peter Egden, urged the committee not to fall into the trap that the submissions were representative of the wider community.

The 20 who had chosen to give evidence represented 1 per cent of the town’s population, Egden said.

This meant the remainder of the 2000 residents were either supportive of a new bottle shop, had no view either way, or did not feel strongly enough about it.

He also argued that with the closure of Pam’s Pantry, a grocery shop that sold wine and beer, a new licence would simply keep the status quo.

There was no evidence that alcohol-related harm was worse than anywhere else in the country, Egden said.

‘‘There is domestic violence here as there is in every community in New Zealand.

‘‘Probably 75 per cent of the adults in the community drink responsibly.’’

He told the committee not to lose sight of the fact it had to consider the whole community in its decision.

Other submitters brought evidence of alcohol-related rubbish being dumped around the district and concerns about an increase in anti-social behaviour.

Many spoke to the amenity and good order of the area, and said a prominent liquor outlet in the centre of the main street was not a good look.

Noel McGirr said Amberley risked becoming the North Canterbury centre for cheap gas and liquor.

While police did not initially oppose the application, Constable

‘‘We have even had drunk parents fighting and verbally abusing each other outside the school gate.’’

Simon Green

Amberley School principal

Genevieve Craddock said that after hearing from community members and the school, she realised the extent of alcoholrelated harm was not always brought to the police’s attention.

Had the police been aware of the number of issues with alcohol, they would have opposed the application.

Paula Williams, representing the medical officer of health, said the applicant had not understood the extent of alcohol-related harm in Amberley.

‘‘It is apparent that there is a significant groundswell of opposition to the proposed premises from within the local community.’’