A bottle shop in the heart of Auckland City has been ordered to close, seven months after it was granted an off-licence renewal.
By Torika Tokalau of Local Democracy Reporting
Residents have compared the surrounding area to an open-air bar, with rough sleeping, drunkenness, urination, vomiting and disorderly behaviour.
Liquorland Hobson St, on Vogel Ln at 51 Hobson St in the CBD, was granted an off-licence in December 2025 by the Auckland District Licensing Committee (DLC), despite the concerns.
Trading under Hobson Liquor Limited, the renewal came with a significant set of conditions and a truncated term.
However, following an appeal led by alcohol licensing inspector Chen Mee Kelly Lee with the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority (ARLA), the shop has been ordered to close by September.
In its decision on July 29, ARLA stated they were mindful of the extent of the alcohol related harm in Vogel Lane, described by words such as persistent, regular, ongoing, predictable and long-standing.
"The residents have given evidence that they feel unsafe when there are congregations and consumption of alcohol outside their apartment areas.
"There is evidence of sales of alcohol from these premises directly contributing to the drinking in Vogel Ln."
The appeal focused on the DLC's failure to properly consider evidence of the bottle shop's effect on the area, and whether Liquorland Hobson St was a suitable operator to continue selling alcohol in a safe and responsible manner that minimised alcohol harm.
A resident group also appealed the strict conditions and the shortened licence term was sufficient to mitigate alcohol-related harm.
The DLC imposed 21 conditions to the renewal, including eight discretionary conditions to address the risks associated with persistent alcohol-related harm on Vogel Ln.
This included the shop recording how it complied with its Social Responsibility Policy, which addressed how they maintained amenity and good order, and dealt with minors and intoxication.
City Centre Residents Group (CCRG) chair Antony Phillips said they were pleased with ARLA’s decision because Vogel Ln had, at times, become an open air bar with alcohol purchased from bottle stores in the area.
Open since 2008, Liquorland Hobson St was within a 24/7 alcohol ban area, with 27 other off-licences nearby.
"We want a city centre that is vibrant and safe for businesses to operate, however this cannot come at the expense of community safety," Phillips said.
"The liveability of the city will not improve if safety is compromised."
At a 2025 hearing, residents and the inspector collectively shared concerns about persistent alcohol-related harm, including of public drinking in an alcohol-banned area, rough sleeping, alcohol-related litter, intoxication, urination, defecation, vomiting and disorderly behaviour.
At several visits, licensing inspectors reported recurring alcohol litter, including products sold by the Liquorland Hobson St, and witnessed several instances of individuals consuming alcohol in public, immediately after purchasing from the bottle shops.
There were also 16 noise control complaints received by Auckland Council from 2024 and 2025.
A day before the appeal in May, two members of ARLA visited the shop and confirmed rough sleeping, drinking in the alcohol-ban area and liquor-related litter continued.
ARLA noted this was despite the shop owners complying to all the licence conditions and their attempts to mitigate alcohol-related harm.
"As a direct albeit situational contributor to the alcohol related harm in Vogel Ln the Authority is of the view that refusing renewal of this licence would likely increase the amenity and good order of Vogel Lane by more than a minor extent.
"Not only will it reduce the convenience of direct accessibility to alcohol within the Lane but it will likely reduce to some extent the other related issues as well such as the persistent breaches of the 24/7 alcohol ban.
"Even though a refusal to renew may not alleviate all alcohol related harm, it may well reduce it."
Communities Against Alcohol Harm spokesperson Dr Grant Hewison said ARLA’s decision put the minimisation of alcohol-related harm first, as the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act required.
"The residents and alcohol licensing inspector repeatedly documented public drinking, litter, intimidation and disorder. It is welcome that the lived experience of locals along with the repeated observations of the Inspectors has been accepted as compelling evidence."
LDR contacted Liquorland Hobson St owner Amysh Goyal for comments, who was away overseas.
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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