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Waitakere Retirement Village Receives Bar For Residents

By Brooke Wheelhouse

What is this about?

Waitakere Gardens is an independent living retirement village located in Sel Peacock Drive, Henderson.

The retirement village has a restaurant, a post office, hairdressers, games area, library, swimming pool, and a gym, although they had no bar up until the end of 2014. The beauty of this retirement village, a sense of independence, while also being surronded by people that are around the same age, creating a sense of community.

Waitakere Gardens Retirement Village won the third battle to establish a bar in their vicinity. Located in the Auckland suburb of Henderson, Waitakere Gardens is an independent living retirement village that worked tirelessly to receive the bar.

“It has been a positive addition to the village community” says Alan Wilde, A resident of the village and chairperson for the committee which established the bar.

A gym, swimming pool, a post office and restaurant are already established in the village. Mr. Wilde set up a committee in favor of establishing a bar in the village for the residents and their guests

The need for a bar and a liquor license for the village arose when residents disagreed with the village happy hour, ran by the social club every Friday night. By providing residents with two alcoholic beverages if they wish for $5 per month, some residents thought this was the sale of alcohol breaching liquor license laws. Waitakere Gardens did not have a liquor license and faced a $20,000 fine if the opposing party complained to the council.

"This is our home, we didn’t think the law as such applied to us. All we wanted to do was serve two drinks per week” says Mr. Wilde, in response to the opposition threatening the social club with the law

The committee in favor of the bar establishment believed that it would be a positive addition to the village. The bar would allow residents to socialise over a beer or wine in the comfort of their own community.

The group opposing the bars establishment believed residents would be at risk due to alcoholics and intoxicated violence.

A bar was always discussed as an addition to the village, Mr. Wilde explains. By applying for a liquor license for happy hour, it was the perfect time to set up a bar that would also be included in the liquor license proximity.

Group of residents enjoy bar on a Sunday afternoon

Obtaining a liquor license proved difficult for the village as it was hard to determine what license was needed. “The liquor licensing laws do not extend to the likes of a retirement village” says Mr. Wilde.

The New Zealand Health Promotion Agency website states a club license allows for the sale and consumption of alcohol on the premises for residents and guests.

A condition of the club liquor license was that it would be issued for a year trial period. In November 2014, the trial period was up. No complaints were issued during this period and their full on-licence liquor license was granted for three years.

Residents have welcomed the bar positively. The bar is open from 3-4pm on Sunday, it serves a selection of wine, beer, and spirits.

A Google Poll conducted to journalism students, all students believed that a bar has a place in retirement villages. Journalism student Grace Phillip’s agreed, “It’s a social aspect of the retirement village” says Ms. Phillips.

The Google Poll also stated that 9 out of 10 students believed that the act of alcohol consumption does contain negative connotations. Melanie Dooley agreed that negative connotations are present “addiction, regret, injury, which can all be prevented with responsibility”. Although, Ms. Dooley also says that it can be positive “it allows people to easily converse”. This aspect would be positive for a retirement village setting.

Mr. Wilde describes the whole dispute as blown out of proportion. "It was just a storm in a teacup", he says.

Barry Grossi, Duty Manager and Robyn Hall, resident

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