By Andy Young
Western Australia’s state liquor authority has granted Aldi its second liquor licence in the state.
The German supermarket giant was granted a licence for its store in the suburb of Wattle Grove, in the east of Perth. The licence follows from the first Aldi store, in Butler, which was awarded its licence earlier this year.
The licence covers an area of approximately 30m2 within Aldi’s Wattle Grove supermarket, which stock in the region of 60 wines (red, white, sparkling and fortified), 16 beers, 15 spirits and four ciders. There is no cool room or other refrigeration in the store’s liquor area, with all the prodcuts being stocked and sold at room temperatures.
In his decision to approve the licence WA’s Director of Liquor Licensing (DLL) acknowledged that the area of Wattle Grove has nearly doubled in size since 2006 and that there are currently no packaged liquor outlets in the suburb.
Although the application did receive objections from the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth and the Executive Director of Public Health, the DLL determined that the licence was in the “public interest”.
In granting the licence, the DLL said: "Although the grant of the application may pose some risk to the local community, particularly in view of the evidence submitted by the objector and intervener, in weighing and balancing the competing interests in this application, I am satisfied that the positive benefits to the local community outweigh the potential risks and the grant of the application is therefore in the public interest."
The DLL added: "Consequently, I am satisfied that the applicant has discharge its onus under s 38(2) of the Act and therefore the application is approved."
The licence has been granted subject to a number of conditions including no external advertising of liquor products on the facade of the licensed premises and that no refrigerated liquor products are sold.