The " Right " to Drink !

This week the Land and Environment Court is due to hand down its decision on whether to allow one of Sydney's "Beer Barons " to open a very large new hotel in the suburb of Casula.  This development application has been rejected by Liverpool council and it has attracted a hard core opposition who have managed to get three thousand five hundred signatures on a petition rejecting the proposal.

Proponents consider this to be a "Wowser " element trying to impose prohibition on the good people of Casula.  The objectors claim that the suburb is unsuitable for such a major development and that it will be near both a primary school and an aged care home.   They implore the court to turn down the appeal because Casula is a disadvantaged area with high public housing, domestic violence and unemployment.

It is evident that this development plan will result in a major hotel complex rather than a simple country pub.  Its bars and lounges are designed to cater for crowds ranging from five hundred to a thousand patrons and there are plans to install fifteen poker machines.  These will not be new licenses but will be transferred from another company owned hotel in Liverpool.   It is estimated that these poker machines will draw about a million dollars a year from the local community.

The listing of objections includes the usual gripes about increased car traffic density, parking problems and the creation of noise, both from the entertainment proposed and from patrons leaving late at night.  All of this is a conundrum that the Land and Environment court has been tasked to solve.

No doubt some of the objectors have real fears that a big new pub will cause harm to their suburb, but it will also deliver relief to some of the problems they cite as a reason for rejection.  A lively pub will become the anchor point for a lot of other businesses which revolve around a Mecca that attracts people - and that lowers local unemployment.   Objectors claim that Casula is "disadvantaged " - and it will remain that way if all attempts to breathe life into its commercial potential are rejected.

In reality, the reason these objections have been lodged to stop the proposal mask the real reason which is not stated.   That is the fear that a new source of obtaining alcohol will exacerbate domestic violence and family disunity in the suburb.  There is no doubt that a new pub will have a bottle shop attached and the real fear is that the availability of alcohol will increase the existing problems that excessive drinking is already causing in Casula.

That is probably correct, but it needs to be judged on the overall effect that a high volume attraction of patronage will deliver and whether that will add a vibrancy that lowers unemployment and enhances new entries to expand the shopping centre.   Progress comes at a price, and in this instance Casula will become a more vibrant place if it attracts shoppers who usually go elsewhere.

A reality check will reveal that there are few problems being experienced by Casula residents in obtaining alcohol.   The people who drink have their supply chain firmly established and it is unlikely that a new supplier will increase volume consumed.  At most, the patronage may change from one supplier to another offering more convenience.

The Land and Environment Court will take those issues into its consideration when arriving at its judgement. !