Every week, I hear from local businesses still feeling the impact of poor policy decisions made by past governments.
One area where issues consistently arise is from small business owners who run licensed liquor stores. These businesses face costly, time-consuming regulations that, while well-intentioned, fail to benefit the community.
I recently introduced a Member’s Bill to address the challenges facing licensed liquor stores across New Zealand.
My bill ensures these businesses are treated fairly by amplifying their voice in licensing decisions and limiting objections to those directly impacted.
Under the current law, liquor stores are all too often bogged down by objections from activist groups or individuals who don’t even live in in the area.
While the store may eventually open, it’s after months of delays and tens of thousands of dollars spent defending their right to operate.
Worse yet, when they are granted a licence, they’re often hit with onerous conditions that do little to improve public safety but make it near impossible to run a viable business.
Another issue is that the current rules allow a licence renewal to be denied simply because a ‘sensitive site,’ such as a school or church, has opened nearby.
I have heard from small business owners who, having operated a successful business without complaint over many years, are now at risk of closure because a childcare centre has since opened nearby.
It is unfair to load that kind of uncertainty onto a business and force them to operate under constant threat of closure. They are essentially being asked to perform the impossible task of predicting where such sites may or may not open in the future.
My bill fixes these issues. Under my proposal, only those who live within one kilometre of a store would be able to object to a licence.
This recognises that the right to object to what someone does on their own property should be limited to only those most affected.
Additionally, my bill ensures that existing stores can renew their licences without being penalised for a sensitive site that opened after the store was already established.
If my bill passes into law, nothing will change in relation to retailors’ obligations to sell alcohol in a responsible manner.
New Zealand is a diverse country, home to people who’ve come from all over the world to build better lives for their families. Many start businesses that provide jobs, serve the local community, and bring people into our town centres.
I want to empower these people to succeed on their own terms, without unnecessary government intervention. I would like to prioritise the interests of those most affected – namely, the business itself, its customers, and the immediate local community.
Already, the feedback I have had has been overwhelmingly positive. New Zealanders, and particularly those small business owners, recognise the need to cut our country loose from the red tape holding us back.
I look forward to the debating this issue and encourage my Parliamentary colleagues, the community, and local businesses to support my bill.
-Paramjeet Parmar
ACT List MP based in Pakuranga