DecisionNotice
Matter:ApplicationforaPermanentVariationtoaLiquorLicence
Proposed Premises:CucinaItalianDiner
Applicant:Cucina Italian Diner Bagot Road Pty Ltd
Objectors:Ms Zoe Langridge - NT Police
Ms Katie Hearn - City of Darwin
Ms Sally Graetz - Development Consent Authority
Legislation:Liquor ActSection 32A
Decision of:A/Deputy Director-General (Operations)
Dateof Decision:15 August 2016
Background
1. Pursuanttosection32A oftheLiquorAct(theAct),CucinaItalianDinerBagotRoad PtyLtdhasappliedtotheDirector-GeneralofLicensingforapermanentvariationforthepremisesknownas"CucinaItalianDiner",locatedat285BagotRoad,CoconutGrove,NT0820.
CurrentSituation
2.Thespecificsoftheapplicationforpermanentvariationrelatedtothefollowingconditionwithinthelicence:
ChangeofLicenceAuthority
3.ThecurrentlicencewasissuedundertheAuthorityofa'Restaurant'Licencetoallowthesaleofliquorforconsumptiononoratthelicensedpremisesancillarytoameal.
4.Thecurrentpremisescomprisesof80%restaurant,and20%waitingareaforclientsorderingandcollectingtakeawayfood.
5.Theapplicanthasappliedforan'On'Licence',andtoallowpatronstodrinkonthepremiseswithoutamealbyremovalofthenecessarycondition.
6.ThereasonforthechangeofconceptisanopportunitytoexpandtheirbusinessbyallowingmembersofpublictopurchasealcoholwhilstwaitingforatakeawayorderandcapturethepassingtradeofpeopletravelingtotheairportwishingtohaveadrinkasanalternativetotheAirportTerminal. Theapplicantstatestheyintendtomaintain80%ofthepremisesasarestaurant.
Decision Cucina Italian Diner Bagot Road Pty LtdDate of Decision: 15 August 2016
Ref DOB 2016/01229-00041
PublicInterestCriteriaPursuanttoSection6(2)
7.Theapplicantsubmittedanapplicationinwhichtheyprovidedinformationabouttherelevantcriteriareferredtoinsection6(2)oftheActandsubmittedthattheinformationprovideddemonstratesthegrantofthevariationtothelicencewillbeinthepublicinterest.
Advertising andObjections
8.TheapplicationwasadvertisedintheNTNewsonWednesday, 13April2016andFriday,15April2016,andalsobywayofapublicnoticelocatedinaprominentpositionatthepremisesfromFriday15April2016untilMonday,9May2016.
CriteriaofObjections/Submissions
Pursuanttosection47F(2)oftheActanobjectiontoapplicationforgrantofliquorlicencemayonlybemadeonthefollowinggrounds:
(a)the amenity of the neighbourhood where the premises the subject of theapplicationareorwillbelocated;or
(b)health,education,publicsafetyorsocialconditionsinthecommunity.
Section 47F(3) states only the following persons, organisation or groups may make anobjectionundersubsection(1)
(a)a person residing or working in the neighbourhood where the premises thesubjectoftheapplicationareorwillbelocated;
(b)apersonholdinganestateinfeesimpleinland,oraleaseoverland,intheneighbourhoodwherethepremisesthesubjectoftheapplicationareorwillbelocated;
(c)amemberoremployeeofthePoliceForceactinginthatcapacity;
(d)amemberoremployeeoftheFireandRescueServicewithinthemeaningoftheFireandEmergencyActactinginthatcapacity;
(e)anAgency orpublicAuthority thatperformsfunctionsrelatingtopublicamenities,includinghealth,educationandpublicsafety;
(f)acommunity-basedorganisationorgroup(forexample,alocalactiongrouporacharity).
SummaryofObjections
9.Three(3)objections/submissionswerereceivedfollowingtheadvertising/objectionperiodwhichconcludedonMonday,9May2016.Allobjectors/objectionsweredeterminedtobevalidpursuanttosection47(2)and47(3)oftheAct.
•NorthernTerritoryPolice
•CityofDarwin
•DevelopmentConsentAuthority
ZoeLangridge,DirectorStrategicPoliceDivisionOfficeoftheCommissionerandCEO
10.AsummaryoftheobjectionwasthatNTPolicedidnotsupportthechangeofAuthorityfroma'RestaurantLicence'toan'OnLicence'basedonthefactitwouldbehighlyunlikelythatpatronswouldcatchataxitothepremisespriortoheadingtotheairportforadrinkandthatthecollectionoftakeawayfoodisrarelydonewithoutavehicle
KatieHearn,A/GeneralManger,CommunityCulturalServicesCityofDarwin
11..MsHearn,submitsthatCityofDarwinobject onthegroundsthatthechangeinAuthoritymayadverselyaffecttheamenityoftheneighbourhoodandorthehealth,education,publicsafetyorsocialconditioninthecommunity.
Sally,Graetz,Acting UrbanManager,DevelopmentAssessmentServices,DevelopmentConsentAuthority
12.MsGraetz,submitsthatDevelopmentConsentAuthoritynotethattheapplicantmakesreferencetouseofthetablesatthefrontofthepremises,wherepatronscansitandconsumealcoholwithoutameal.Thecurrentpremiseshaveapprovaltooperateasarestaurant,thisdoesnotextendtotheoutdoorareaandadditionalconsentwouldberequired.
Responsetoobjectionpursuanttoattachment47GoftheLiquorAct
13.Theobjections/submissionwasforwardedtotheapplicant,providingthemwiththeopportunitytorespond. Noresponsewasreceivedbytheapplicant.
SummaryAssessmentoftheObjectionsISubmission
14.TheApplicanthasoperatedaliquorlicenceatCucinaItalianDinersince7September2015,therehavebeennocomplianceissuesraisedduringthistime.
15.Theobjections/submissions lodgedonbehalfoftheNorthernTerritoryPolice,CityofDarwinandDevelopmentConsentAuthorityareallvalidandinaccordantwiththerelevantprovisionofsection47(2) and(3)oftheAct.
16.TheCucinaItalianDinerissituatedonasemiCommercialEstatethatisaccessedbyaserviceroad.Thefrontentranceofthepremisesoverlooksamainroadandsidebuildingoverlooksadriveway.Therearenoresidentialhousesintheimmediatevicinity,orattractionstoenticemembersofthepublictositandadmireviewsfromthepremises.
17.Theapplicantsubmitspersonstravellingtotheairportwillstopandusetheirpremisesasanalternativetotheexistingoutletswithintheterminal. Giventhelogisticsofsuchanexerciseitisunlikelysuchanoutcomeislikely.
18.NTPolicecommentthattakeawayfoodisrarelypickedupwithoutavehicle,orbyuseofpublictransportistakenintoconsiderationandacceptedasthemorelikelythannot.
19.Thewaitingtimeforatakeawaypizzaisminimalandthereisconcernthatthiscouldencouragerapidconsumptionofalcohol.
20.Theapplicanthasnotprovidedanyquantifiabledatainrelationtopersonwishingtoconsumeliquorwithoutamealdespitehavingbeenaffordedtheopportunitytodoso.
21.WhilstacknowledgingthegoodrecordontheapplicantIfindthattheapplicanthasnotprovidedsufficientinformationordetailstosupporttheapplication. Ifurtherfindthattheapplicanthasfailedtodemonstratethereisasufficientpublicneedorrequirementforthisvariation.Further,whenprovidedtheopportunitytorespondtotheobjectionstheapplicanthasnotbotheredtoprosecutetheirownargument.
Decision Cucina Italian Diner Bagot Road Pty LtdDate of Decision: 15 August 2016
Ref DOB 2016/01229-00041
Decision
22.Inaccordancewithsection32AoftheActonthebasisoftheinformationprovidedinrespectoftheapplication,andforthereasonssetoutabove,IrefusetheapplicationtovarytheconditionsofthelicenceforthepremisesknownasCucinaItalianDiner.
ReviewofDecision
23.Section8oftheLicensing(Director-General)Actprescribesadelegatedecisionisadecision,underanyAct,oftheDirector-GeneralthatismadebyadelegateoftheDirectorGeneral. TheDirector-GeneraldelegatedthedeterminationofapplicationsmadeunderSection32AoftheLiquorActbyinstrumenttothepersonfromtimetotimeholding,actinginorperformingthedutiesofthepositionintheDepartmentofBusinessspecifiedinSchedule2ofthatinstrument. Thisdecisionwasmadebyapersonreferredtointhat schedule. Section10oftheLicensing(Director-General)ActprovidesthatanaffectedpersonforadelegatedecisionmayapplytotheDirector-Generalforareviewofthedecision. Thisapplicationforreviewmustbemadewithin28daysafterwrittennoticeofthedelegatedecisionisgiventotheaffectedperson,orwithinanyadditionaltimethattheDirector-Generalallows. Section9oftheLicensing(Director-General)Actprescribesanaffectedpersonforadelegatedecisiontobetheapplicantforthespeciallicenceandapersonwhomadeasubmission,complaintorobjection(howeverdescribed)duringtheprocessthatresultedin thedecisionbeingmade.
24.Accordingly,theaffectedpersonsinrelationtothisdecisionare,CucinaItalianDinerBagot RoadPtyLtd,Ms KatieHearnoftheCityofDarwin,MsZoeLangridgeoftheNorthern TerritoryPoliceandSallyGraetzofDevelopmentConsentAuthority.
MarkWood
A/Deputy Director-General (Operations)15August2016
Decision Cucina Italian Diner Bagot Road Pty LtdDate of Decision: 15 August 2016
Ref DOB 2016/01229-00041