A group of Lake Hāwea residents say they’re concerned about the approval of a new Super Liquor store for the Longview subdivision - and they are preparing to lodge objections.

Earlier this month Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) gave the green light to a 300sqm+ Super Liquor store in Longview’s designated commercial area which can operate up to 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

Hāwea already has three retail outlets selling alcohol (Fresh Choice, the Hāwea Store & Kitchen, and the Hāwea Hotel’s small bottle store) as well as two licensed eateries.

Longview resident Lisa Riley says she wants community members to consider whether another alcohol outlet is necessary in the town of 2,300 residents.

Lisa Riley at the corner of Longview Drive and Burdon Loop, where a Super Liquor is set to be constructed. PHOTO: Supplied

Lisa, who represents a growing group of concerned residents, said she cares “deeply about our community - our kids, our whānau, and the environment we’re all trying to raise them in”.

“We want to ensure that community planning supports the safety of our kids,” she said.

“This isn’t about denying people access to alcohol - it’s about questioning why a liquor shop has to be the first thing people see when they enter our family-friendly neighbourhood.”

With the clock ticking on the 25-day period members of the public have to lodge an objection - which would trigger an alcohol license hearing - Lisa said her focus is “making the objection process as accessible as possible”.

Lisa told the Wānaka App she’d been contacted by 27 individuals representing at least 40 people who are against the liquor store in the 48 hours since she first posted her concerns on social media.

Another resident, a former social worker, said they were concerned about a ‘snowball effect’ if the Super Liquor (which could be the first operation in the subdivision’s commercial area) goes ahead.

“Once alcohol outlets arrive, others follow - fast food chains, vape stores,” they said.

The location of the Super Liquor, at the corner of Longview Drive and Burdon Loop, near the playground and school bus stop, was “especially concerning” for another resident, who said they didn’t believe a liquor store was “the right fit for a neighborhood made up of young families”. 

Some residents expressed disappointment that QLDC had approved the Super Liquor and hadn’t publicly notified the application, but a QLDC spokesperson clarified that a council cannot regulate or prioritise types of retail activity (for example groceries versus liquor) within a zone if it falls under the permitted use, as it does in this case.

“Council’s assessment deemed it appropriate that the application did not need to be notified [and] the reasons for consent and notification would not have related to the liquor store activity,” he added.

Lisa said she has been in contact with Health NZ Te Whatu Ora for guidance on opposing the licence; secured legal counsel from Communities Against Alcohol Harm; provided a form letter which anyone can use to object (available via the Facebook group ‘Hāwea Community for Thoughtful Development’) or by emailing [email protected]; and she plans to speak at a hearing if one is triggered.

“Regardless of the outcome of this specific application, I expect to continue advocating for community wellbeing in this space - including doing everything I can as a local resident to help ensure a Local Alcohol Policy [which would specify rules for sale and supply of alcohol locally] is properly developed and adopted,” she said.

“For me, this is not about judgment - it’s about care, connection, and having a real conversation about what kind of future we want to shape for our community.”