More than 300 objections lodged on proposed Waimate and Timaru liquor stores
Thursday, 6 March 2025
Two applications to open bottle stores, one in Waimate and another in Timaru, have been met with strong opposition, with more than 300 objections lodged.
Communities Against Alcohol Harm spokesperson Liz Gordon said an application by Singh Trading (2016) for an off-licence to operate a Bottle-O bottle store, at 41 Queen St, Waimate, had garnered almost 170 submissions in opposition, via online submission platform Jotform.
Gordon said Waimate, which had a population of 3590 as of the 2023 Census and two bottle stores already, did not need another.
“This is a very high number of objectors for Waimate.”
Gordon said those who had objected were concerned about alcohol harm, including family violence, road accidents and deaths, and the impact on young people and crime rates in the area.
“There is a strong link between the number of alcohol outlets – especially liquor stores – and alcohol harm, so there is obvious concern.
“People were also concerned that the applicant already owns three other liquor stores and is just trying to expand his profits, rather than offer a needed service in the area.”
Singh Trading’s application said the company director, Mandeep Singh, owned and operated three bottle stores in the Timaru District ‒ The Bottle-O stores in Washdyke and Pleasant Point and Merchants Liquor on Evans St.
Gordon said, given the strong opposition, she hoped Singh would withdraw his application.
If that did not happen, she said “everyone will get a change to have their say” at a hearing.
Singh did not wish to comment on his plans for Waimate, or the number of objections, when contacted.
It is not the first time he has faced opposition from a community. In 2021, when he applied to open a liquor store at Pleasant Point, Singh’s application drew 12 submissions in opposition including one from Pleasant Point Primary School principal Mark Creba.
That application went to a hearing and was eventually granted by the Timaru District Licensing Committee.
Gordon said there had also been strong opposition to a proposal to open a Super Liquor bottle store in Timaru’s Showgrounds retail complex.
She said about 140 objections had been lodged against an application by KSK PVT Limited via Jotform. The company wanted a licence to trade from a site next to the St Pierre’s Sushi store at The Showgrounds, seven days a week between 8am and 9pm.
KSK PVT Ltd was incorporated in January 2017, and Gurjeet Singh, of Geraldine, was listed as the sole director and shareholder.
Singh’s application said he owned several other licensed premises (some in partnership) including Super Liquor stores in Dunedin, Waimate, Temuka and Geraldine, as well as the Crown Hotel in Temuka and the Village Inn in Geraldine.
On Tuesday, Alcohol Action South Canterbury member and Timaru resident Gordon Rosewall said it was great to see the public expressing their concerns about another proposal for a liquor store in South Canterbury.
“It is encouraging to see people are engaging in this,” he said.
Liz Gordon said the number of liquor stores in Timaru and Waimate was concerning.
“Both Timaru and Waimate have suffered from alcohol-related harm,” she said.
“Most people do not realise they can have a say in this [a liquor store proposal]. If they do not have a say in it then the licence will be granted.”
In January, Rosewall raised concerns about the prospect of another bottle store in Timaru, which already had 10, and questioned the need.
“We are not calling for a ban on alcohol but we are advocating for effective regulations around the supply and availability of alcohol in order to reduce alcohol-related harm,” he said at the time.
The Timaru District Council (TDC) group manager corporate and communications Stephen Doran said the liquor application for The Showgrounds site had been “put on hold pending the outcome of the planning consent decision”.
Doran said given that, a hearing date had not been set.
The council could not confirm the number of objections for the Timaru proposal as the responses had not been collated yet, he said.
Alcohol licensing for the Waimate District was contracted to TDC.
It had also been asked how many objections it received against the application in Waimate and when a hearing could be held.