West Aucklanders, fed up with alcohol purchasing restrictions, campaign for 'fairness'
In West Auckland, you can't buy beer or wine in supermarkets, and there are a limited number of liquor outlets and taverns because of restrictions put in place by two licensing trusts. But a local group is calling for an overhaul on the area's alcohol rules. A petition that aims to force a referendum on whether to maintain the current liquor monopoly or to introduce competition is gaining traction in the area. More than 22,000 people have signed it so far. The petition needs 28,000 and has just over two weeks to do so. Advocate and petition organiser Nick Smale says it's about relative fairness, with people in other cities or suburbs getting a better deal. "It's the relativity, not the absolute that's important," he told. "It's because it's two or three bucks cheaper down the road that's important. "If the price of wine, if a bottle of alcohol went up $3 everywhere I don't think we'd have any complaints ... It's the fact that in West Auckland [it] costs a little bit more and so all of the people in West Auckland are a little bit frustrated." Reasons for signing the petition have been "wide and varied", Mr Smale said. "I think we see what we get in other suburbs, other parts of Auckland, other parts of New Zealand and it's better. The pubs are better, there are more of them, there are nicer places to go out, different types of places to go out for a meal and a drink, and in West Auckland there is a real dearth of nice places to go out for a drink." Money from the trusts go into community projects, as does money from the Invercargill Licensing Trust, where alcohol is also not sold in the Southland city's supermarkets.
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Auckland School Holiday Events
Are you on school holiday duty? Here's some activities to get out of the house for! Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments below.
Sat, 28 Sept: Wild Robot Wonders at the Sky @ Sky Tower
Sat, 28 Sept: Starry Storytime @ Stardome Observatory
Sun, 29 Sept: The Block Dance party @ Aotea Square
Mon, 30 Sept: Cornwall Park Trading Cards @ Huia Lodge Discovery Hub
Mon, 30 Sept: Treasure Hunt @ Corban Estate Arts Centre, Henderson
Tues, 1 Oct: Dance-o-Mat @ Aotea Square
Tues 1 Oct: Rainbow Scultpure @ Aotea Square
Tues 1 Oct: Squiggla workshops @ Pah Homestead
Wed, 2 Oct: Night at the Museum: Time Warp @ Auckland Museum
Wed, 2 Oct: Steampunk a hat @ Northcote Library
Wed, 2 Oct: Make a Wind Vane @ Highwic, Epsom
Thurs, 3 Oct: Film: Peter Rabbit @ Uxbridge, Howick
Thurs, 3 Oct: Back to the Future Scavenger Hunt @ Northcote Library
Fri, 4 Oct: Starry Storytime @ Stardome Observatory
Fri, 4 Oct: The Wonky Donkey Show @ Uxbridge, Howick
Fri, 4 Oct: StarJam performance & games @ Aotea Square
Sat, 5 Oct: Flight Birds Club @ NZ Maritime Museum
Sun, 6 Oct: Make it Loud workshops @ Motat
Mon, 7 Oct: Roving the Red Planet: Robotics session @ Stardome Observatory
Tues, 8 Oct: Theatre: Peter Pan @ ASB Waterfront Theatre
Wed, 9 Oct: Theatre: Mrs Wishy Washy @ The PumpHouse Theatre
Thurs, 10 Oct: Film: Lilo & Stitch @ Uxbridge, Howick
Fri, 11 Oct: Starry Storytime @ Stardome Observatory
Fri, 11 Oct: Wilbur the Big, Not So Bad Wolf @ TAPAC, Western Springs
Sat, 12 Oct: Make butter for fairy bread @ Northcote Library
Sun, 13 Oct: Nature Play @ Myers Park
Sun, 13 Oct: K-Pop Free Dance Party @ Aotea Square
Sun, 13 Oct: Family Games Afternoon @ Mount Roskill Library
Click on your local library to see its upcoming school holiday events:
Albany Village Library, Central City Library, Waiheke Library, Mangere Bridge Library,Warkworth Library, Epsom Library, Botany Library, Highland Park Library, East Coast Bays Library, St Heliers Library, Onehunga LIbrary, Glen Eden Library, Birkenhead Library, Avondale Library, Otahuhu Library, Glenfield Library, Devonport Library, Titirangi Library, Papatoetoe Library, Wellsford Library, Waitakere Central Library, Parnell Library, Manurewa Library, Clendon Library, Takanini Library, Grey Lynn Library, New Lynn Library, Blockhouse Bay Library, Mount Roskill Library. See all Libraries here.
What else is there to do?
Butterfly Creek
Motat
Auckland Zoo
Howick Historical Village
Auckland Art Gallery
Stardome Observatory
Snowplanet
Rainbow's End
Scultptureum
Thrillzone
Kiwi Valley Farm Park
Aotea Square Ice Rink
Got more ideas? Share them below!
Poll: Should employees be able to work from home?
At the post-Cabinet press conference, the National Party asserted they want public sector staff to return to the office. This has opened a conversation about other sectors in New Zealand who have adopted working from home (WFH).
Where possible, do you think employees should be able to work from home? Vote below and share your thoughts in the comments.
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70% Yes
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26.8% No
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3.2% Other - I'll share below
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