Breweries ‘fed up’ with objectors

Press, 6 December 1979, Page 3

Breweries ‘fed up’ with objectors

PA Auckland The country’s two biggest brewers have said they are 1 unlikely to build any more) taverns or hotels. Dominion Breweries and' Lion Breweries have said they are “fed up” with run-!: the gamut of objectors whop have succeeded against themit to the point where investment in taverns, particu- i larly the neighbourhood con- I cept, has been abandoned. 1 Lion Breweries said it had ’ dropped plans to proceed 1 with its tavern and restau- I rant at Mount Roskill be- I cause of objectors who could < have delayed its opening t until 1986. Lion’s managing director I (Mr J. Macfarlane) said his 1 company was not prepared r

for such delays and had decided against future investments of this kind. ! A Lion Breweries spokesman, Mr D. Fitzgerald, said 'yesterday that his company would diversify into food !and leisure activities instead of building new hotels and taverns. Dominion Breweries’ general manager (Mr W. Williams) said he did not think there was much scope in investing in neighbourhood taverns. He cited objectors, town-planning difficulties, and competition from sports club licences as the main reasons. Instead of building more taverns, D.B. would concentrate on improving existing premises, he said.

i-l Mr Williams said the i-licensed industry could be j dramatically affected by :-) overnight legislation such as d the recent 30 per cent tax / on beer, and planning must 1 be flexible. I, Mr Fitzgerald said everyd body said neighbourhood taverns were socially desir- - able, “but when we try to - build one we get blocked by j objectors.” The Inspector of Licensed i Premises (Mr G. Scott) said , local taverns were needed to , overcome drinking and drivs ing. 1 “As the population grows, we will find the lack of s local taverns a burden, and - people will start saying, ’We ; i should have had them years 'ago’.”