More than 500 community objections weren’t the end of the fight over Lake Hāwea’s proposed Super Liquor store, which has been reignited with an appeal against the approved alcohol licence.

In January the District Licensing Committee (DLC) approved Keyrouz Holding Ltd’s alcohol licensing application for the Super Liquor proposed for Lake Hāwea’s Longview subdivision.

It followed significant public attention and heated opposition from the Lake Hāwea community.

Longview resident Lisa Riley, who led community advocacy via the group Lake Hāwea Voices, told the Wānaka App this week she had lodged an appeal.

“The issues being considered go to how the statutory criteria and the object of the [Sale and Supply of Alcohol] Act are interpreted and applied in practice,” she said.

She said the appeal was about whether the statutory framework established under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act “is being applied in a way that genuinely advances its object[ive]”.

In particular it focuses on “...the minimisation of alcohol-related harm, and whether the current processes are functioning as intended”, she said.

The application attracted 542 objections - believed to be a record high relative to the size of the affected community.

The DLC, in its decision, noted that while the objections did “reflect the concern by many in the community”, it found the “evidential value of these submissions to be low”.

At the time of the decision, Lisa said the decision had dismissed “the collective voice of the community”.

A QLDC spokesperson confirmed this week that an appeal had been lodged with the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority (ARLA).

Lisa said that “a number of other objectors have indicated that they intend to apply to be joined as parties to the appeal”.

Appellants will receive a notice of hearing and a timetable in due course, the QLDC spokesperson said.

IMAGE: Supplied