John MacDonald: I'm not normally anti-bottle store, but...

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

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4d ago 5:19

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I’ve surprised myself with my reaction to this plan to open a bottle store right across the road from the bus interchange, in central Christchurch.

But I think it’s a terrible idea. And it’s a gut thing.

Seeing all the stuff that goes on in the central city, my gut tells me that that’s probably the last place you’d want a bottle store.

I’m surprised by the way that I feel about it because, normally, I’d probably look at this proposal and think that if people are going to buy booze, they'll buy booze.

And, normally, I’d probably say that there’s already booze available in town, so why have a problem with a bottle store?

But I’m different on this one. And I’m not alone. The police. Health bosses. They're all against it.

So is Liz Gordon, who is with the Communities Against Alcohol Harm group.

She says the bus interchange is one of the most crime-ridden areas in the country and it’s not an appropriate location for a bottle store. I don’t know about that claim about the interchange being one of the worst places in the country for crime. But I agree with her with that it’s not the area to have a bottle store.

She’s also opposing another proposed bottle store just down the road on the ground floor of an apartment block on the corner of Manchester and Cashel streets.

And I’m with her on that one too.

Where this has come from, is the owners of the Fresh Choice supermarket in The Crossing want to open-up a bottle store next door to their existing business.

I know the people who are pro the bottle store will say that there’s an alcohol ban in the centre of town so it's not as if people would be able to buy alcohol and start guzzling it outside.

My response to that would be, yes, there is an alcohol ban. But there’s also a ban on people having their dog in town with no lead - but people still do it. All sorts of things are banned - but people still do them. And it’s not as if there’s a dire shortage of places to buy alcohol in the centre of town.

Another person opposed to the new bottle shop is Medical Officer of Health Dr Cheryl Brunton.

She says there are already 10 other off-licence locations within one kilometre of the proposed site and 19 locations in close proximity where drinks can be bought over-the-bar.

The argument in favour of the bottle store is that there are way more people living in the central city these days and it makes sense to be able to buy the type of alcohol that you can’t get at the supermarkets.

So your spirits and your RTDs. And I get that argument. But there’s enough going on - particularly in that part of the central city - without needing to add a bottle shop into the mix.

It’s being reported today that, in their licence application, the supermarket owners say they don't anticipate any alcohol-related problems from the bottle store, if they get approval to open it.

But they would say that, wouldn’t they? As if they'd say anything different.

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