POLICY ON LICENSING

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31082, 10 June 1966, Page 12

POLICY ON LICENSING

Country Hotel Accommodation

The council’s concern that the Licensing Control Commission appeared to favour the conversion of hotels with a low occupancy rate to taverns was put to two local members of Parliament, Messrs J. K. McAlpine and M. A. Connelly, when a sub-com-mittee of the Paparua County Council met them recently. The committee, reporting to the council at its monthly meeting last night, said that hotels in rural townships could reasonably be expected to provide beds, even though the demand for accommodation fluctuated, and that the present legislation tended to discourage the provision of accommodation with a view to an application for a tavern licence. The committee's chairman (Cr. H. W. Bennett) said that it looked as if changes could be made by the commission with little opportunity for residents or the council to give their views. Mr Connelly, the committee reported, said he would examine the legislation to see if the commission was obliged to take local evidence into account when it considered changing hotels to tavern status.

Mr McAlpine said that it was highly desirable that hotels or taverns should continue to serve meals. He would ask the commission to take the council’s views into account.