A new $25 million supermarket in Flaxmere has been granted a licence to sell beer and wine, despite strong opposition from local licensing authorities, police and health officials.
The Hastings District Licensing Committee approved the application for the new Woolworths supermarket at 4 Swansea Rd, subject to strict conditions aimed at minimising exposure and alcohol-related harm.
The application, from General Distributors Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Woolworths, faced a wall of opposition.
Local licensing Inspector Janine Green opposed the licence under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, highlighting Flaxmere as a highly deprived, low socio-economic community that experiences high and persistent levels of alcohol-related harm. Green argued that the expansion of alcohol sales could not be reconciled with the law, citing regional data showing that Hawke’s Bay has the highest rates of hazardous drinking in New Zealand.
Local police figures supported these concerns, detailing 495 alcohol-related harm incidents recorded in the 2023–24 year, which equates to approximately 35.4 incidents per 1000 residents. Police also recorded 290 family harm incidents in 2024–25, while emergency department data placed Flaxmere East among the highest areas for alcohol-related presentations nationally.
