Bottleshop capital: Aldi Umina Beach granted liquor store license

There will be four bottle shops within a 500m radius after the Civil and Administrative Tribunal said ‘yes’ to a major discount supermarket chain for another liquor license.

Umina Beach has been granted a fourth bottle shop liquor license.

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Umina Beach could be on its way to becoming the bottleshop capital of the Central Coast after the approval of the fourth packaged liquor license within a 500m radius.

The Civil and Administrative Tribunal has given the go ahead for the bottlo inside Aldi’s Trafalgar Avenue supermarket after transferring an unused license from Aldi’s former Gosford supermarket.

The Aldi liquor license will be in addition to two Woolworths-owned BWS Liquor stores in the same street and a Coles Liquorland outlet not far away on Oscar St.

Aldi Umina Beach has been granted a packaged liquor license. Picture: Sue Graham

Aldi initially had its application to transfer the license refused by the Indepenedent Liquor and Gaming Authority in August 2017 but applied to the Tribunal for a review.

The company even set up an in-house petition in favour of the bottleshop which was signed by scores of customers.

In his findings on the case, tribunal senior member Roger Hamilton SC said the Aldi store would be small with a limited range of products and limited opening hours.

One of two BWS liquor stores in Trafalgar Avenue at Umina. Picture: Sue Graham

He said he accepted evidence presented that the store meant convenience to Aldi customers that was “unlikely to lead to any material increase in consumption of liquor in the community”.

“Taking into account the material before the Tribunal I am of the view that the benefits of approving the removal application outweigh the negative aspects by a significant margin,” he said.

The Tribunal ruled that the new license was unlikely to add to rates of alcohol related crime.

“I determine that I am fully satisfied that the overall social impact of the grant of this removal application will not be detrimental to the wellbeing of the local or broader community.”

A number of people spoke against the license transfer including Brisbane Water Local Area Command licensing officer, Senior Constable S Tobin.

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Sen Const. Tobin told the Tribunal the application should be refused because it would lead to an increase in crime.

He said the [liquor] needs of the community were “more than adequately met” by existing stores and he was disturbed by the rate of alcohol-related domestic violence in the area.