By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
CASEY mayor Sam Aziz has slammed a state liquor regulatory body’s approval of a Dan Murphy’s super barn in Cranbourne East.
Cr Aziz said the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation over-ruled a chorus of objections on public-harm grounds against the Linsdell Boulevard project.
The objections came from bodies such as Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, Casey Council and public health experts.
“The decision makes a mockery of what we’re trying to put in place in Casey.”
He called for reform of the state’s Liquor Licencing Act to put more weight on social harms such as family violence.
“The recent Royal Commission (into family violence) established a strong link between alcohol and family violence.
“There wouldn’t be a single expert in Australia that would object with that.”
Cr Aziz said the council would consider appealing against the decision within the 28-day cut-off – after weighing up the financial cost with its “absolute responsibility to protect our community from harm”.
He said commentary that opposed the council’s stance was “intellectually poor”.
“If you’re looking at diversity of venues alone, there are already 70 outlets in Casey.
“It’s not like we’re deprived of obtaining a legal product.
“We just don’t need any more, especially in Cranbourne East, which has the highest incidence of family violence in the City of Casey.”
In its 11 April ruling, the VCGLR found there was little evidence the store would increase alcohol consumption.
“Even if customers in the relevant area would enjoy lower prices for a particular type or brand of liquor, the lower price may not result in the purchase of more liquor.”
Experts led evidence of strong links between the supply of packaged alcohol and family violence, especially in disadvantaged areas.
The Casey area is highest ranked for family violence involving alcohol in the state – with the highest intervention order breach rate in the vicinity of the site.
Police data showed high levels of alcohol-related offences in the vicinity of the store’s site – particularly immediately to the site’s west.
There were also high incidences of family violence police callouts in Cranbourne East – in the top 1 per cent for metro Melbourne.
On behalf of Dan Murphy’s, consultant Jane Homewood told the VCGLR that many of those figures were raw figures skewed by Casey’s large, fast-growing population.
Per capita, Casey was among the lowest alcohol-related offences and family violence rates, she said.
A Dan Murphy’s spokeswoman told Star News that it strived to be “Australia’s most responsible drinks retailer”.
“We are committed to continuing our working relationship with local council, local police and the community in relation to our Cranbourne East development.”
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the police were reviewing the decision to determine if it would appeal.
A State Government spokesman said it could not over-rule the proposal.
This was challenged by the state opposition, which stated that a previous Labor government had provided planning exemptions for liquor outlets as part of the Cranbourne East structure plan in 2010.
