Hotels Risk Loss Of Licences

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31987, 14 May 1969, Page 1

Hotels Risk Loss Of Licences

More than 60 hotels in the Canterbury Hotel Association district still have to make improvements or run the risk of having their provisional licences cancelled on June 30.

Six to eight of the hotels involved will have to make improvements costing thousands of dollars.

In March, 1968, 78 out of the 134 hotels in the Canterbury district were working on provisional hotel premises licences. Since then at least 12 of the hotels have made improvements required by the Licensing Control Commission and have been granted hotel licences.

“Will your hotel or tavern be permitted to open for business on July 1, next?” asks the “New Zealand Licensee.” An article says that section 317 of the Sale of Liquor Act (1962) provides that every provisional hotel premises licence still in force on June 30, 1969, shall expire on that day, and the premises shall cease to be licensed premises. The article says that the commission is given a discretion in the act, being permitted, on the application of the holder of the provisional premises licence, to extend the currency of the licence for any period or periods ending not later than June 30, 1970.

Applications for any exten-

sions must reach the commission, in Wellington, not later than Friday. Provisional licences expire by law, on June 30, and not by any decision of the commission. There is provision for the resurrection of any provisional licence later. Commission View The commission, at sittings in Christchurch, has made it clear that it thinks the hotels in Christchurch and North Canterbury are badly distributed, that some are substandard and that some with low occupancy rates should be taverns. The Hotel Association of New Zealand has told members that June 30 will be the date when many hotels in New Zealand will be sorted out by the commission, and that all applications for an extension of time in which to get premises up to standard should be accompanied by submissions which clearly show “_ood cause” why more time is needed to effect improvements laid down by the com; ission.

“The Canterbury Hotel Association agrees with the commission that hotels in

Christchurch and North Canterbury are badly distributed,” the association’s executive officer (Mr E. H. Williams) said yesterday. Licence Transfers “For that reason we support the commission in giving precedence for a removal licence over a new licence. As a result of this, the licence for an old hotel, with declining custom, can be transferred to an area where a hotel is needed and be the licence for modern premises,” Mr Williams said. A licence for a hotel closed in Lyttelton which had been transferred to a new hotel in Aranui and the licence of a hotel, the Albion, at Lyttelton could go to a new and growing Christchurch suburb, he said. “We support the retention of hotel premises licences rather than tavern licences because we consider that hotels can given more and better service—service which the public are seeking. “A hotel can provide late, wining, dining and dancing, whereas a tavern cannot have •any late permits. It must shut its doors, under the present law, not later than 10 p.m. After 10 p.m.' there can be no drinking and nobody on the premises except , the licensee, his staff and family. “The association hopes that /the law will be altered so that taverns can provide laterhour services, wining, dining and dancing when the public require these extra services,” Mr Williams said. Licence Transfers The licences for the Shades, New Wellington, Grand Central and White Hart (Christchurch), Saxon, Albion (Lyttelton), Railway (Doyleston), and Metropole (Akaroa) are among those which have been or are being transferred to other hotels. The licence of the Glacier Hotel at Bealey 'has lapsed but the commission may issue a new licence at Arthur’s Pass if application is made.