Liquor licence applications for new South Canterbury bottle stores put on hold

Wednesday, 9 April 2025

An application made by Singh Trading (2016) Ltd for an off-licence to operate a Bottle-O bottle store at 41 Queen St, in Waimate, has been put on hold. (File photo)

Two companies hoping to open new bottle stores in South Canterbury have put their liquor licence applications on hold.

Singh Trading (2016) Ltd lodged an application for an off-licence to operate a Bottle-O store in Waimate on January 16, and KSK PVT Ltd lodged one for a Super Liquor outlet at Timaru retail centre, The Showgrounds, on December 18.

Both applications drew strong opposition with more than 300 objections lodged, about 140 to KSK PVT’s application for Timaru and 170 to Singh Trading’s for Waimate.

Asked when hearings might be held for each of the applications, the Timaru District Council said both applications had been put on hold by the applicants.

Liquor licensing for the Waimate district is contracted to the Timaru council.

The proposed location of the Super Liquor Showgrounds store in Timaru next to St Pierre’s Sushi at The Showgrounds.

In March, the council’s 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”.

Gurjeet Singh, who is the sole director and shareholder of KSK PVT Ltd, declined to comment on the matter when contacted.

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.

Mandeep Singh, left, and his lawyer Andrew Riches appear before the Timaru District Licensing Committee at the Pleasant Point Town Hall in 2021.

Singh Trading (2016) Ltd director Mandeep Singh is no stranger to the hearing process, having faced one after applying for a licence to open his Bottle-O store in Pleasant Point in April 2021.

Singh was granted approval from the Timaru District Licensing Committee (DLC) to open a Bottle-O liquor store at 57 Main Rd, Pleasant Point, following that hearing. But Pleasant Point St Joseph’s School, which is located opposite the store, appealed the decision with the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority (ARLA).

A hearing was held in July 2021, during which concerns were raised about the location of the store and an offer of a compromise to tone down signage at the proposed store was turned down by the school.

The decision was released the following month and the school’s appeal was dismissed, but the decision of the DLC was modified following Singh Trading’s offer to reduce signage and the business was prohibited from selling single bottles of beer, cider or RTDs at $6 or less.

Alcohol Action South Canterbury member and Timaru resident Gordon Rosewall, pictured outside the proposed location of the Super Liquor Showgrounds store, has raised concerns about the prospect of another bottle store in Timaru.

As well as the Pleasant Point store, Singh also owns two other bottles stores in the Timaru District, those are the Bottle-O store in Washdyke and Merchants Liquor on Evans St, Timaru.

He has been approached for comment.

After the applications were lodged, two groups raised concerns about additional bottle stores being granted licences in the region.

At the time, Communities Against Alcohol Harm spokesperson Liz Gordon said the number of liquor stores operating in Timaru and Waimate was concerning.

“Both Timaru and Waimate have suffered from alcohol-related harm,” she said.

“There is a strong link between the number of alcohol outlets – especially liquor stores – and alcohol harm, so there is obvious concern.”

Meanwhile, Alcohol Action South Canterbury member, and Timaru resident, Gordon Rosewall said Timaru already had 10 bottles stores and questioned the need for another.

“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.