Eight Tourist Houses Get Licences

Chronicle (Levin), 3 August 1949, Page 6

Eight Tourist Houses Get Licences

WELLINGTON, Aug. 2. An important decision on the issue oi tourist house licences -was announced by ihe Licensing Control Commission in an mterim report released tMs evening. The commission, which consists oi Messrs A. M. Goulding, S.M. (chairman), B. Barrington and L. C. -Nisbet, statos that, following the public inquiry reeently heid in Wellington in regaru to the allocation of tourist house licences, and the evidence and reiiresentations placed before the commission on behalf of a variety of bodies and persons, ,the commission has decided to authorise the allocation in the meantiine of one licence for each of the following localities: — (1) The area lying within a radius of three miles of the entrance of the glowvvorm cave, Waitomo. (2) The area lcnovv as Tongariro National Parlt. (3) The area known aa Egmont iNational Park, excluding that part of the park situated in Block 3 of the Wairau and Cape Burvey District. (4) The area lying within a radius of three miles of the Anivvaniwa Pails, Lake Waikaremoana. (5) The area lying within a radius oi ten miles of the bridge which crosses the Tongariro liiver at Turangi, Laice Taupo. ((j; The area lying within a radius of two miles of Hanmer Post Offiee. (7) The area iying within a radius oi two miles of Weheka, Westland. (8) The area lying within a radius of two miles of Milford Post Ofiice iu Milford bound. The commission adds that, without t'urther investigation which in manj' cases vvill involve a public inquiry m the locality concerned, it will not issue licences in respect of other localities ihe, claims of which were pressed before the commission. Outliuiug the guiding principles upoh which the commission proposed to approach the problem of detennining tne issue of this type of licence, the "report states that the commission cannot overlook the fact that the total number of licences available for the whole country under legislation, is very limitea — 25 in all. The report says that the commission feels that, first and foremost, it should be satisfied that the grant of ahy licence is likely to be in the nationar rather than in the local interest in the sense that it will be of advantage to the country as a whole and will (particularly overseas) prove a valuable medium of attracting further tourist traific. Anotlier matter which will influence the commission is the question of tne existence or non-existence in the neighbourhood. of licensed premises. if a locality seeking. a tourist house licence is, by reason of distance or sometimes of inaceessi.bility, isolated from any lhensed hotel, that is a factor whicn the commission believes has weight xn favour of the authorsation of a tourisi house licence. Associated witli this aspect is the question of the population in an area. If there is a cunsiderablc permanent population or possibly a large seasonable influx of visitors or holidaymakers, authorisation of single or even two or three tourist house licences, is not going to meet the requirements of either the permanent or seasonable population as a whole. The betler solution in such case could be in the grant of publicans' licences rather than in the grant of tourisi house licences and a solution could probably be found in a redistribution oi' licences.

The commission adds that this rernark does not applv to the King Country which is a proclaimed area. Nevertheless, the legislature has seen fit to give power to grant tourist house licences m that area no doubt because of its tourist attractions. " The allocation of actual licences wlien authorised, is the function of the licensing eommittee controlling the district," says the report, "but the commission has power to fix the standard of accommodation, service, ete., which it will expect of licensees. In that eonnection the commission wishes it to be known that it will look for and fix high standards. These standards will, of course, vary aceording to what the commission believes to be the requiremenis in a particular locality. But the least that can be said is that in all cases the licensee will have to provide accommodation for a substantial numoer of persons in accordanee with the standards mentioned. " The report states that the above general remarks cannot be regarded as Dinding the commission to applv hard and fast rules to the problem because a variety of factors might well justify the authorisation of a tourist house licence in an area which does not fully complv with the general requirements laid own. It also states tAere are certain localities eapable of development as attractive tourist resorts but where no suitable premises exist in, which a^ licence could be operated. The commission mav therefore take a long view of the posi'tion and on the assumption that the total number of licences will not be raised above 25, see fit to reserve two or three licences for such localities. Accommodation Standards. Subject to ' any speeial direetions to be given to licensing committees, the commission has determined upon a num-

ber of standards for accommodation anu services required .to be provided in premises where licences are granted. Among these are: — (a) All premises shall be equipped and so construeted as to comply wrtn New Zealand 's Standard Code of Bylaws, part 7, means of egress. (b) In respect of areas I, 2, 3, 4, b and 7, the minimum standard of accommodation, services, meals, and general ainenities, shall be equal to that required of licensed hotels graded by the Price Tribunal as four star, namely, eomfort, cuisine and modexn amenrties, all bedrooms equipped with hot and cold rmi'ning water, large lounges, adequate porter service and silent early morning service, writing accommodation ancl notepaper. , Other provisions in addition to the preceding minimum, include that central heating shall be provided in the whole or part of the premises, and a percentage of bedrooms shall be equar in standard to that fixed for iicenseu hotels graded as five star hotels. Where there are more than two floors, an adequate elevator service shall be provided, proper bathrooms and shower boxes aua lavatory accommodation is to be provided for and, with the approval of the Licensing Commission and to meet the requirements of speeial parties or exceptional occasions, limited accommodation of the dormitary, lodge or hut type may be authorised. The commission adds that for licences granted in respect of areas 5 and 8, tiie minimum standard of accommodation shall be equal to that of licensed hoteis graded as three star hotels. Dealing with a standard for meals, the commission states that all foods shall "be good and wholesome, properly cooked and tastefully served with varied menus daily. The licensing committees shall be instructed to obtain at intervals, copies of the menus and to report to the commission if the meals fall belcrw the standard regarded by the licensing eommittee as desirable for tourist houses. The report stipulates adequate- meal hours to suit the convenience of tne pnblie and requires that equipment and I'urnishings for bedrooms shall be in accordanee with those of the licensing eommittee. Clean Glasses. With rogard to the storage and supply of liquor, one interesting stipulation is that no glass tliat has been used by a guest or lodger and removed-, shall be refilled but clean glasses shall be provided for each drink served except where liquor has been served in a bottle. Adequate and proper cleamng facilities for cleansing glasses with running hot water shall be installed m every servery and reasonable, proper and comfortable facilities for the supply, service and consumption of liquor shall be provided for emplovees anci members of the staff in a stafl: sitting room. In conclusion the commission states that the fixation of standards of accommodation and service will not alone make for a good tourist house." The commission believes success or failure de■pends almost entirelv on the question of management, control and service. The commission will watch thbs ^aspccn very closely and will not allow a aeterioration of management, control or service connected with tourist house licences to pass unnoticed.