'You have to draw the line somewhere': Taylor

Councillors will consider a recommendation to refuse the Bottle O proposal, next to the FoodWorks supermarket, on Tuesday night.

It would sell beer, wine, cider and spirits, opening from 9am to 7pm on Monday to Saturday and 10am to 6.30pm on Sundays.

The application asked for access from the car park and through to the supermarket. 

NSW Police did not object, asking for signage not to include lifestyle images or pictures of drinks and one entry point to limit theft and alcohol supply to minors.

But the council’s community services department believed the sale of packaged liquor would “likely have a significant and detrimental social impact”, given the store was located close to a low socio-economic area. 

“The increased availability of packaged liquor within easy walking distance of residents will likely result in an increase in alcohol related crime,” the report to councillors said.

The department said the proximity to a childcare centre, primary secondary schools and social housing were also factors.

Councillor Glenn Taylor objected to the liquor licence lodged in April last year.

“I’m no prude, I love a beer, but sometime, you’ve got to draw the line,” he said. 

“I can’t see any good coming out of it and people can go to any one of the dozens of other shops in Orange.”

One public submission was also entered, together with a petition of 55 signatures, which objected based on the store’s proximity to a childcare centre, concern for alcohol-driven assaults and break-ins, previous break-ins at the premises, and the risk of more people drinking in the streets and leaving their bottles behind.

The Central Western Daily asked readers whether liquor licences to sell alcohol in residential areas of Orange should be approved and most supported them, with 60.4 per cent answering yes and 39.6 per cent no. 

FoodWorks owner Pranav Patel said the recommendation did not support small business and the recommendation did not take the application’s social impact statement or customers’ petition signatures into account.

“Our trading will be very limited – we will close at 7pm when other liquor stores close after 9 o’clock,” he said.

“If we were closing at midnight, there would be an affect the community.”