An Auckland lawyer s position as a District Licensing Committee (DLC) chairperson has led to a complaint to the Ombudsman due to her previous legal work for clients in the liquor industry.
Photo: RNZ / Nathan McKinnon
The DLC is tasked with considering and granting liquor licences for everything from liquor stores and bars to cafes and nightclubs.
Grant Hewison is the secretary of Communities Against Alcohol Harm, a group set up in 2017 to fight back against the growth of liquor outlets and pokie machines in South Auckland.
He said the group filed a complaint with the Ombudsman on Wednesday after failing to convince the Auckland Council last year that Katia Fraser should be removed from the committee.
Fraser was contacted for this story, but referred questions to the Auckland Council, which said it did not accept there was an issue of bias, either apparent or actual, on her part. Hewison said the group thought it had no other option but to take further action after its concerns were rejected by the council. “Communities Against Alcohol Harm raised concerns about Ms Fraser because she has acted for the alcohol industry. On the basis of that and her reappointment this year we felt it was appropriate to raise it with the Ombudsman.” He said under section 193 of the Sale of Liquor Act 2012 the council must not appoint a DLC commissioner if it believes that, due to their involvement with the alcohol industry they can’t perform their duties “without actual bias or the appearance of bias”.