1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: HOSPO and Z says, don't stop there. This is the 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: government looks to loosen booze laws. Introduced a bill to 3 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:08,879 Speaker 1: stop serial Karens from blocking new pubs and bars. Only 4 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: locals in the same council area can now object to 5 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: a liquor license. Previously, any old man and his dog 6 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: could do it. Sam McKinnon Hospitality and zhead of Acuracy 7 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,279 Speaker 1: with us this morning. Morning Sam, Good morning Ryan, thanks 8 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 1: having good to have you. Is this a game changer 9 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: for the licensing rules? 10 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I think we would characterize it as 11 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 2: a rebalancing. A number of changes were made a few 12 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 2: years ago that changed the way that the licensing process 13 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 2: worked and from our view that certainly led to some 14 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 2: vexatious objections. So, as you've noted, you could be a 15 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:46,840 Speaker 2: country pub in Otago and have no local objections known 16 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 2: in your local community has any issues with the way 17 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 2: that you're running your bar or your pub. But you 18 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 2: could have a series of objections from Auckland and that 19 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 2: holds up the process generally pushes you into a public hearing. 20 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 2: So changing some of those rules will certainly have an 21 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 2: impact for a number of our members. 22 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: So how many of the applications get declined, but solely 23 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: on the basis that someone who didn't live near the 24 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: venue complained or is this more about Once that happens, 25 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 1: it triggers the lengthy and costly process to begin with. 26 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's not generally that they get declined, but 27 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 2: if you don't have any public objections, then you can 28 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 2: just have your decision made without having to go to 29 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 2: a hearing. So you know, it's adding time and certainly 30 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 2: cost into the licensing process. So I guess that's what 31 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 2: we're hoping that these rules will change, along with some 32 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 2: of the changes around right of reply and new local 33 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 2: alcohol policy rules not impacting existing licenses, So all positive 34 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 2: steps in the right direction. 35 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: What's changing with the zero bears? 36 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, so currently zero percent bears have fallen into a 37 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 2: bit of a gray area. So you've got provisions in 38 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 2: the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act around serving zero 39 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 2: non alcoholic beverages which covers water and juice and soft drinks, 40 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 2: and then provisions around needing to serve low alcohol beverages 41 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,359 Speaker 2: which are your sort of mid strength piers, and your 42 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 2: zero percent piers wouldn't satisfy. You can't serve that as 43 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 2: a as a soft drink, but you also couldn't serve 44 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 2: that as a low alcohol per So it's kind of 45 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,359 Speaker 2: resolving that challenge that makes Obviously, consumer preferences have moved 46 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 2: much much further down that direction of or zero alcohol 47 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:29,519 Speaker 2: beer versus a mid strength two and a half percent 48 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,359 Speaker 2: per so a lot of our members are purchasing that 49 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 2: product solely to satisfy the condition rather than because that's 50 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 2: what the customer wants. 51 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: Sam the excise on kegs, is that any different to 52 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: the excise that we pay just generally on beer. 53 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 2: Well, it's part of the component of what you pay. 54 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 2: The tax that you pay on beer. It is the 55 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 2: largest chunk of texts that you pay on beer. But 56 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:55,239 Speaker 2: obviously we combined with GST, we're pushing about fifty percent 57 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 2: of tax that you pay on a keg is now sorry, 58 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 2: fifty percent of the price that you pay on a 59 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 2: keg is now tax. So yes, it's the primary component 60 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 2: that you paying. 61 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: What do you think it should be, Well, we'd like. 62 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 2: To see a fifty percent reduction on keig tax to 63 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 2: support the sector. So you're currently your tax aren't exercised. 64 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 2: Tax isn't differentiated between packaged bear or keg Bear, and 65 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:24,359 Speaker 2: so we'd like to see a differentiation on on Keig 66 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 2: Bear and then have that that tax reduced. We think 67 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 2: that will support local communities, support the brewing sectors, support 68 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 2: ourselves obviously as businesses in communities up and down the country, 69 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 2: and enable more of that sort of viability for your business. 70 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: Sam, appreciate your time this morning, Sam McKinnon, Hospitality and Z. 71 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 2: For more from Earlily Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live 72 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 2: to News Talks it Be from five am weekdays, or 73 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 2: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.