WEST Aucklanders are launching an online petition today calling for a referendum on the area's current alcohol monopoly.
Residents say with only the Portage and Waitakere Licensing Trusts allowed to run bars, the area doesn't offer enough nightlife. The Portage Licensing Trust covers New Lynn, the area around Waikumete Cemetery, Glen Eden and Titirangi. The Waitakere Licensing Trust covers Glendene, Piha, Henderson, Te Atatu and Kumeu. Together they operate as The Trusts. West Auckland Licensing Trust Action Group spokesperson Nick Smale says he'd like to see competition. "Other operators [should be able to] open bars so we can get some diversity in the offerings for going out and having a drink. "The licensing trust venues still feel like they're better suited to a few decades ago, and they just aren't keeping up with the changing tastes of the demographic." The petition needs 28,000 signatures - 12,684 in the Portage Licensing Trust area and 15,283 in the Waitakere Licensing Trust area, 15 percent of the population. A simple majority vote in a referendum would remove The Trusts' monopoly over the region. The last vote was held in 2003, when 58 percent voted to keep the trusts in charge. The West Auckland Licensing Trust Action Group says repealing the trusts' monopoly wouldn't result in a liquor store on every corner thanks to the Sale and Supply of Liquor Act, passed in 2012.
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Poll: Do you set New Year’s resolutions?
🎉 2026 is almost here!
We’re curious ... how do you welcome it?
Do you set resolutions, follow special traditions, or just go with the flow?
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10.4% Yes! New Year, New Me
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19.9% Yes - but I rarely stick to them
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69.7% Nah - not for me
Scam Alert: Fake information regarding December Bonuses from MSD
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