Lake council on notice over bottle shops

Mount Hutton residents have won support from the New South Wales Upper House in their fight against a new bottle shop in the suburb, close to a local public school.

MPs have supported a Greens motion to oppose the Woolworths BWS liquor proposal in Dunkley Parade due to fears it will expose students to drunken behaviour and contribute to more alcohol-fuelled assaults.

Greens MP John Kaye says the house also accepted the argument that there are too many bottle shops in Mount Hutton already.

"International evidence shows that the greater the concentration of these bottle shops, the more violent crime," he said.

"The New South Wales parliament is becoming increasingly concerned about the concentration of bottleshops, particularly in the Lake Macquarie area and particularly this latest proposal for one which is within 500 metres of a school."

He says there are already 14 packaged liquor outlets within a five kilometre radius of the planned Woolworths site.

"Adding another one in Mount Hutton just makes no sense.

"The parliament has sent a very strong message both to Woolworths and Lake Macquarie council that we are concerned."

Source: ABC News, 9 May 2012