Public agencies’ $60k war chest to fight bar ‘unbelievable’

Friday, 9 February 2024

Health authorities, police and the Wellington City Council went into a figh with a $60,000 legal war chest – mostly funded out of health dollars – to oppose a central Wellington bar.

Established Wellington bar owner Greig Wilson had a protracted battle as he tried to get a liquor licence for his new Courtenay Place bar Saint Diablo with opposition from police, Te Whatu Ora Health NZ and the council. But they dropped their opposition in December after Wilson agreed to close at 2am rather than 3am – a compromise he said he offered three months earlier.

Now, official information requests show Te Whatu Ora budgeted $50,000 plus GST to fight the licence and ended up spending $22,750. Police budgeted $5000 but no legal costs had yet been invoiced so it had not yet spent any money. The Wellington City Council chipped in $5000.

Wilson said his own legal battles, before the public agencies withdrew opposition, cost about $20,000 but the figure would have been closer to $50,000 if he and co-owner and husband Leon Magowan-Wilson had not spent “six weeks day and night” doing a lot of legal work themselves.

“That is phenomenal,” Wilson said when he heard of the $60,000 war chest this week.

“What a waste of taxpayer money, for fighting a small bar for 100 people, surrounded by other bars.

“An utter and complete waste of taxpayer dollars. They should be held accountable for the waste.”

He said it was particularly galling when he read of a drug or surgery, funded overseas but not funded in New Zealand, while health authorities were willing to fund a legal battle with $50,000 when the matter could have been sorted out over a talk.

Jordan Mills, who has three bars with his family — Wellington Sports Cafe, Bettys, and Siglo — faced similar opposition with his licences as the agencies tried to push a 4am licence back to 2am.

His family spent $40,000 to $50,000 per hearing and lost each one. The reduced hours made Siglo, on Courtenay Pl, “unsustainable” and it was now being forced to close, he said.

“We are up against a lot of big [organisations], all with big pockets. We are a family with a couple of small venues.”

The agencies tried to argue they were trying to reduce alcohol-related harm but “there is nothing changing with supermarkets selling alcohol”, he said.

“Hospo is in the worst position we have ever been in,” he said.

“They are kicking us in the guts when we are already down.”

Police said the $5000 figure was “fairly standard” and it would not comment further.

The council and Te Whatu Ora were approached for comment.