Objecting to a Liquor Licence Application
Who can object to a liquor licence? And upon what grounds?
Where an application is required to be advertised, any person may object to the application on any ground permitted by section 74 of the Act.
Grounds for Objection – Section 74 of the Act
No objection may be made unless it is on one or more of the following grounds, as per section 74 of the Act:
- that the grant of the application would not be in the public interest; or
- that the grant of the application would cause undue harm or ill-health to people, or any group of people due to the use of liquor; or
- that, if the application were granted:
- undue offence, annoyance, disturbance or inconvenience to person who reside or work in the vicinity, or to persons in or traveling to or from an existing or proposed place of public worship, hospital or school, would be likely to occur; or
- the amenity, quiet or good order of the locality in which the premises or proposed premises are, or are to be, situated would in some other manner be lessened; or
- that the grant of the application would otherwise be contrary to this Act.
Why do you object?
The type of people that object to a liquor licence application are usually;
- Local business owners who view the proposed licensed premises as direct competition to their business;
- Concerned residents in the locality who believe the proposed licensed premises may cause harm, undue offence, or annoyance to the local community – essentially lessening the amenity.
Why should you engage someone to help?
The process can involve a lot of coordination and quick thinking. If you want to put up a convincing argument, it’s best to engage with someone who can formulate a detailed strategy. Having been in the business for nearly 20 years, Canford are very experienced at developing winning objection strategies for clients.
Over the years we have seen a great many objections fail. They are usually unsuccessful because they focus on matters which are not relevant to the Liquor Control Act like car parking, or traffic issues.
To improve the chances of a successful objection, it must be targeted at the set grounds for objection.