Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to raise an issue of great concern within the community that I represent in Shortland. Mount Hutton is one of the suburbs in the Shortland electorate and it has come to my attention that Woolworths is seeking to open a liquor outlet in that suburb right next door to a school. This has been opposed by the community and is really very controversial. I would like to congratulate Councillors Jodie Harrison and Phillipa Parsons for the work that they have done in engaging with the community and raising the profile of this issue. I would also like to congratulate the New South Wales upper house, which unanimously passed a motion, which I will seek to table at the end of my contribution, opposing this liquor outlet.

The proposed site is only 100 metres from Mount Hutton Public School and Mullington Park. The school, park and existing shops have suffered a lot from vandalism and graffiti and a bottle shop is only going to make this situation worse. Mount Hutton already has bottle shops and does not need another one. There are two within one kilometre of the site and 14 within a five-kilometre radius. Woolworths itself actually has a bottle shop only 850 metres from the proposed site. So I argue very strongly that there is not a demonstrated need for this bottle shop. Woolworths accounts for one-third of the alcohol suppliers and 70 per cent of alcohol sales in the area, so a new outlet will not do anything to increase competition.

The consultation that Woolworths undertook was with the police and not with the community. The police said that the crime data did not warrant rejection of it, but it did not support it. There has been no social impact statement.

I would like to congratulate Jane Oakley, who has been championing this cause within the community. It is an issue that really is of great importance. Within this parliament, I would like to put on the record my support for the rejection of this bottle shop. I would also like to table the motion that was passed within the New South Wales upper house and unanimously supported.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded.