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AGENDA
District Licensing Committee Meeting Friday, 11 July 2025
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Date: |
Friday, 11 July 2025 |
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Time: |
10:00 am |
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Location: |
Ngā Hau e Whā, William Fraser Building, 1 Dunorling Street, Alexandra
(A link to the live stream will be available on the Central Otago District Council's website.)
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11 July 2025 |
Notice is hereby given that a District Licensing Committee Meeting will be held in Ngā Hau e Whā, William Fraser Building, 1 Dunorling Street, Alexandra and live streamed via Microsoft Teams on Friday, 11 July 2025 at 10:00 am. The link to the live stream will be available on the Central Otago District Council’s website.
Order Of Business
25.1.1 Declaration of Interest
25.1.2 Blossom Festival Special Licence
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2 Declarations of Interest
25.1.1 Declarations of Interest
Doc ID: 2509241
1. Purpose
Members are reminded of the need to be vigilant to stand aside from decision making when a conflict arises between their role as a member and any private or other external interest they might have.
Nil
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3 Application
25.1.2 Blossom Festival Special Licence
Doc ID: 2507788
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Report Author: |
Angie Symon, Regulatory Support - Environmental Health |
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Reviewed and authorised by: |
Lee Webster, Regulatory Manager |
Central Otago District Council
District Licensing Committee
Sale and supply Of Alcohol Act 2012
Hearing to appeal declined Special Licence SP25039
Alexandra Blossom Festival 2025
NOTICE is hereby given that a meeting of the Central Otago District Licensing Committee will be held at the Central Otago District Council, Ngā Hau e Whā, Alexandra Service Centre, on Friday 11th July 2025, commencing at 10.00 am.
DISTRICT LICENSING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Chairperson: John Mann
Members: Lyal Cocks
Russell Anderson
AGENDA
1. Welcome and introductions
2. Declaration of Conflict of Interest
Members of the Committee to confirm they do not have a conflict of interest in relation to the application.
3. Overview of the proceedings
The chair will outline the process for the hearing of evidence from parties
APPLICATION DESCRIPTION
Applicant’s Name: Alexandra Blossom Festival Committee Incorporated
Event Title: Alexandra Blossom Festival 2025
Location: Pioneer Park, Alexandra
Licence Type: Special Licence
Licence Number: SP25039
Received by Council: 20 March 2025
Date of Event: Saturday 27th November 2025
Licenced Hours Sought 11.00 am to 5.30 pm
Appendix 1 - Applicant Accompanying Letter.pdf ⇩
Appendix 2 - Application.pdf ⇩
Appendix 3 - Police Report No Opposition.pdf ⇩
Appendix 4 - MOH Report No Opposition.pdf ⇩
Appendix 5 - Inspector Report No Opposition.pdf ⇩
Appendix 6 - DLC Decision Declined.pdf ⇩
Appendix 7 - Applicant Request for DLC Hearing.pdf ⇩
Appendix 8 - Police Submission.pdf ⇩
Appendix 9 - Chief Licensing Inspector Report.pdf ⇩
Appendix 10 - Aaron Whipp MOoh Delegate Submission.pdf ⇩
Appendix 11 - Brief of Evidence - Alannah Smyth - Alexandra Blossom Festival.pdf ⇩
Appendix 12 - Stephanie Bekhuis-Pay Alexandra Blossom Festival Witness Statement_.pdf ⇩
Appendix 13 - Blossom Festival Submissions ⇩
Appendix 14 - Evidence of Martin McPherson ⇩
Appendix 15 - Evidence of Jamie Hughes ⇩
SUMMARY
Event Background & Application
The Alexandra Blossom Festival (ABF) is NZ’s longest-running spring festival, operating since 1957.
The organiser has 40+ years of experience and submitted a detailed alcohol management plan.
Food, soft drinks, and licensed alcohol vendors will be present, with 12 professional security staff engaged.
ABF seeks a single, overarching special licence for the entire event, covering all vendors.
Legal & Licensing Context
Under Section 22(2) of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, amended in 2016, requires special licence holders to sell and supply alcohol directly.
ABF is not directly selling alcohol – vendors do – so the application may not meet this legal threshold.
Previous legal precedent (Clyde Wine & Food Festival, Old Cromwell Festival) required individual licences for each vendor unless the organiser sold alcohol directly.
A 2023 decision (SP23150) highlighted similar concerns, but was approved due to time constraints, not on principle.
Inspector Concerns
ABF 2024 used individual vendor licences, with no overarching organiser licence.
ABF stated in their letter that they lacked oversight of vendors, were unaware of their licence conditions, and that licences weren’t displayed.
The inspector notes this lack of control is not acceptable and contradicts the organiser’s management responsibility.
Statutory Criteria and Interpretation
The change from "sell or supply" to "sell and supply" in 2016 clarified that organisers must directly handle alcohol transactions.
Entry tickets or a profit from site access do not satisfy the legal requirement of sale and supply under the Act.
Westlaw commentary supports this strict interpretation, to prevent workaround models and BYO scenarios.
