1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,680 Speaker 1: Now the government is loosening booze regulations. A bill is 2 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: being introduced today that will enact a number of changes 3 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: to the liquor licensing regime. If it passes, Objections to 4 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: liquor licenses will now only be accepted from people living 5 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: or working in the same area as the licensee. License 6 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 1: applicants will have a right to reply to the objections 7 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: and hairdresses. Yeah, we'll be able to serve a limited 8 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: amount of alcohol to clients. Philip Gregan is the New 9 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: Zealand Wine Growers CEO and is with us afternoon. 10 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 2: Philip, Good afternoon, Heather. You like this, Yeah, Look, in 11 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 2: general sense, I think it's common sense that there has 12 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 2: to be rules and regulations now guard rails around sale 13 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,160 Speaker 2: of alcohol. We understand that, but some of the rules 14 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 2: and regulations that were there, it didn't seem to make 15 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:45,160 Speaker 2: a lot of sense, frankly, and it's good to see 16 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 2: proposals for change. 17 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 1: How is it that wineries are affected by the rules 18 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: or the new rules. 19 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 2: Well, look, imagine you're a winery in let's say why 20 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 2: Wrapper or Nelson. You go to renew your license. Somebody 21 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 2: in the cargo or tower could object under the existing law. 22 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 2: They could object and you would have no right of 23 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 2: reply to their objection to your licensing. When that doesn't 24 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 2: seem fair to me? 25 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: No, not at all. Did that actually happen to wineries? 26 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: Because winery seemed to me to be the least offensive 27 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 1: thing out there. 28 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 2: Look, it has happened to license holders, absolutely, there's no 29 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 2: doubt about it. 30 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:24,119 Speaker 1: Has it happened to you? 31 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 2: No? No, I don't have a license fair enough? 32 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: What about the zero alcohol thing? Because I'm told that 33 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: you guys have to, as a result of the current laws, 34 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: hold zero alcohol somewhere on the premises. 35 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 2: Is that right? Well, yes, there's a requirement to have 36 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 2: zero or low alcohol products available. And what are some 37 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 2: of our wineries found? And you may find this unbelievable, 38 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 2: but by having zero alcohol products, they didn't count as 39 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 2: low alcohol products. This legislation, as we understand it, cleans 40 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 2: up that particular mess and we can all get on 41 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 2: with being normal adults. 42 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: What so the zero so if you had a zero 43 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: beer or a zero wine, it would count the software 44 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 1: soft drink department as opposed to in the lower alcohol department. 45 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 2: Yes, which was less than two point five percent. And frankly, 46 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 2: I'm not sure that there are any wines less than 47 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 2: two point five percent, they tend to be slightly higher 48 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:28,239 Speaker 2: than that or zero. So look, this is just another 49 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 2: common sense change. 50 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, it does sound like it's a bit nutty. Hey, 51 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: is there anything else though in there that you thought 52 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: could have done that instead as well? 53 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 2: Look, we actually haven't. I haven't read the proposed piece 54 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 2: of legislation yet to understand it's coming out this afternoon. 55 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 2: I haven't gone through it. Look, there's always things in 56 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 2: alcohol legislation. I think, well, perhaps we could change that, 57 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 2: But they seem to have come up with a reasonable 58 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 2: menu of changes at the stage, and let's take one 59 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 2: step forward and see them, see if we can get 60 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:01,359 Speaker 2: these through to parliament. 61 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: All right, Hey, thank you very much, Philip, appreciate. It's 62 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,519 Speaker 1: Philip Gregan, New Zealand Wine Growers CEO. For more from 63 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: Hither Dupless Yellen Drive, listen live to news talks it'd 64 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.