Squash club gets licence green light

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 480, 6 April 1993, Page 1

Squash club gets licence green light

With the granting of a resource consent last week the Ohakune Squash Rackets Club is now free to apply for a club liquor licence, unless any of the objectors to the licence take their case to the Planning Tribunal. The Ruapehu District Council Hearings Committee approved the club's application for land use consent to allow the club to sell liquor, after a hearing that lasted much of Wednesday last week. Several of the supporters of the application as well as several of the objectors, mostly Tainui Street residents, exercised their right to be heard at the hearing. Conditions The committee imposed several conditions to go with the consent: • The consent only applies to a club licence as defined by the Sale of Liquor Act 1989. • Ten carparks adjacent to the courts must be marked out. • The hours were cut down from those applied for, to: Monday -Thursday 5.00pm -12.00 midnight; Friday 5.00pm - 1.00am the following morning; Saturday 10.00am - 1.00am the following morning; Sunday 10.00am - 10.00pm. • The club shall pay any charges related to the granting of the consent.

• The conditions of the consent "may serve notice" that they will be reviewed in April 1994 and April 1988 "to deal with any adverse effects on the environment which arise from the exercising of this consent". • The bar facilities shall not be increased in size. • The club is to prepare a management plan for the sale of liquor. Reasons The committee gave the following reasons for the decision: • The majority of objectors to the resource consent supported the establishment of the squash courts • The committee considered there would be no significant or adverse effects resulting from the sale of liquor. • The application was significantly unusual in that it was situated in existing recreation facilities attached to Ruapehu College. • The reduction in hours was considered appropriate under the circumstances. • The consent could be reviewed in April 1994 and April 1998 "in the event of CounciTs monitoring programme indicating adverse effects have arisen from the exercising of the consent."

• The restriction in the bar area would mitigate any future potential adverse effects. • The management plan was required to ensure a high standard of management. Not lightly Hearings Committee chairman Garrick Workman said the decision was not made lightly. "All the evidence submitted was taken into account and given full consideration." The committee had the responsibility to consider the issues in relation to the Resource Management Act, explained Mr Workman. He said it was now up to the Liquor Licensing Authority to consider the club's actual licence application. "This hearing highlights the need for all clubs and orgartisatlons to be aware of the terms and conditions of their club licence. It is extremely important that committee members and bar managers adopt good bar management practices. "If poor or sloppy practices are used that lead to problems within or outside their premises, they run the risk of having their licence revoked." Turn to page 12

Squash club free to seek licence

From page 1 Supporters In answer to the objections (see Bulletin 30 March), club president John Laurenson made the following points on behalf of the club: In answer to the claim that the licence was not necessary, he said the bar was "a necessary part of the overall operation" of the club. He said the site, in front of the Community Gymnasium in Tainui Street, would not have been used if a liquor licence had not been forthcoming. Rather than lead to an

increase in crime, he said the club hopes that by "offering another leisure time activity" crime may be reduced. The court's proximity to neighbours would give an added advantage to sellers. Because it was an club licence and not an on-li-cence, no increase in traffic would occur as "a direct result". Positive for youth Rather than "adversely affect the youth", the club felt the effect on youth would be very positive. He said the club environment would be

where alcohol is seen to be used "in a controlled and sensible manner." ' He said the Ruapehu College Board of Trustees, as the control- - ling authority of the property, supported the application. He said the application did not include school hours, and that there were several precedents where schools were used for functions involving alcohol. He said the submissions stating that the granting of a liquor licence would affect the ability of car drivers and road safety assumed that drinkers would drive. "We as a club can only do our best to endeavour to prevent a drink/drive combination." In answer to the objection that the sale of liquor was out of zone, he said that was what a resource consent was for and the reason for the hearing. "Liquor is not an evil per se," said Mr Laurenson in answer to the claim that liquor should not be associated with sport. Mr Laurenson told the hearing of some clauses added to the club's constitution. He said the

consumption of alcohol by school juniors was not permitted and that "whilst running functions due regard must be given to the club's role as a goodneighour". He said noise and traffic near the college were already often above what would be experienced at the courts, citing the recent Lions convention and the secondary schools skiing. Minimum impact "We have made an effort in the design phase to minimise impact," said Mr Laurenson. He cited wall batts, a suspended acoustic ceiling, wooden front "tins" and northerly entrances away from existing dwellings. Mr Laurenson said without a licence, members would be free to take along their own liquor, but there would not be the associated controls placed on the squash club. Other supporters said: There are bars in other residential areas with no complaints; the bar would not be opened just to suit visitors; After 3.30pm most college children are gone from the grounds. Objectors Several Tainui Street residents spoke in objection to the resource consent. Many were con-

cerned about an increase in drink-drivers and increased hazards for children and other pedestrians on a narrow street with no footpaths and muddy verges (where they mostly walk on the road). Resident Errol Vincent said the granting of the resource consent was contrary to the spirit of the new random breath testing laws. "The whole basic thrust of this change is to keep drinking drivers off our roads," he said. Most club members would be driving to and from the club rooms, and most would have been drinking prior to leaving. "Here, now, we are given an opportunity to reverse this destructive trend." He said the view that the conditions imposed would control any adverse effects was "wishful thinking at its grandest" and that if it were so there would be no drink-driving accidents. He said in terms of the Resource Management Act the environment must include people and so the council had to consider the effect on people of the effects of their decision. There must be an increase in traffic because as well as players there would be people going to

the courts for a drink only. More skiers More people would go to the courts on closed skifield days, he said. "Skiers away from home drink more than usual and so the problems ...will increase." "On paper, this Residential B Zone looks attractive to a young family, but, if the licence is granted, this residential environment becomes a much more dangerous place for young children." He said measuring decibels was not appropriate as the "rural residents" would be disturbed by intermittent traffic noise. "It is not the sound level which disturbs but the shock and contrast between the rural silence and the sudden sounds of cars." Resident Bob McGinness said cars were parked as close as six feet from his kitchen window. Noise readings were not taken at a good time, as club members were well aware of the officer taking measurements. He said the problems were already there but that they would happen to a greater extent if a liquor licence were granted. He had moved away from living next to a bar to live in a quiet area for his retirement.

More licences? Nigel Buck asked what would stop all sports groups who used the college property from gaining a liquor licence. He said only two of the supporters of the application lived in Tainui Street, while most of the objectors lived there. Mr Buck said he was disturbed to read that some felt the licence was an essential part of the running of the club. "Are we so dependent on alcohol?" he asked. He said there was no control over who could become a member or who could drink at the bar. Tainui Street resident Sheila Buck said bar patrons would probably be drinking on an empty stomach, after a game of squash. She said as an ambulance driver she had seen the effects of alcohol on people who were at the legal limit, as well as over the limit. "I don't see the controls working here when they don't work elsewhere." Child safety Dennis Friar, who lives adjacent to the courts, said child safety had not been addressed in the town planner's report. He said he and his family moved to Tainui Street for "a more pleasant, peaceful and safer environment". He said the shortened hours (as suggested by the town planner) would still seriously overlap the hours when our children use the road. "While a review in April 1994 and April 1998 provide a mechanism to deal with adverse effects, why should the residents have to suffer them in the first place?" Mr Friar said he had no confidence that they would not be adversely affected by the licence. "The management... has by its actions shown itself to be highly manipulative in its tactics towards the Board of Trustees, the District Council and myself," he said. "What grounds do the residents have for believing that they will be treated more considerately in the future?" Mr Friar cited examples of ways he felt the committee had not been . open. He said he had not been approached by them but rather, had to gather information about the development himself . He said they went to the Ministry of Education (as owners of his house) to get perrr'ssion to build the courts because he wanted written information (as tenant) about the project and how the courts would be managed. Watering hole vibes Karen Bishop said people would leave the courts later in the evening if they had been drinking than if just Turn to page 13

Squash

From page 12 playing squash. She said she would not be happy to live with "the vibes of a watering hole." If members wanted the bar run at all the hours available for skiers so as to raise more funds, the committee would have to do so, said Miss Bishop. She said she would worry about her young children if the consent was given. "The effects on me are not minor," she said. "People don't come to the college drunk. If people want to have a drink after a game they can go elsewhere." Limited choice John Mason, speaking on behalf of the Apostolic Church, said there appeared to be an oversight on the part of the council if the club was told they could get a licence before they started building, but that this should not mitigate the rights of residents. "The council does not have an obligation to bail out the Squash Club." Mr Mason said while the College Board of Trustees may not have objected to the club's application, if a parent was not wealthy enough to send their child to boarding school they had no choice but to send the child to Ruapehu College. They could not then choose to avoid a school that allows alcohol on the grounds. He said it was a bad example to have alcohol on school grounds; it reinforced the concept of drisking after sport; that the road toll was a community problem.