OPERATORS of licensed bottle shops at Mount Burr, Glencoe, Nangwarry and Southend have been spared steep increases of around 300pc in their annual licence fees.
Their fees had set to rise from $805 to $2800 next year but the State Government has backflipped on the proposal following the intervention of Member for MacKillop Nick McBride.
The forecast higher fees had drawn public protests from the storekeepers as they have feared for the viability of their businesses.
The news has been welcomed by Mount Burr general store proprietor George Copelin.
“I am very appreciative of Nick’s efforts,” Mr Copelin said.
“It is good when MPs do what they say they are going to do.
“The whole community of Mount Burr will be grateful.”
Nangwarry bottle shop and general store owner Kevin Dinnison said he had been notified of the revised fees by Mr McBride.
However, Mr Dinnison said he would not comment until he had read the correspondence from the State Government.
Mr McBride said the proposed fee apportionment approach did not adequately differentiate smaller general store style businesses from other larger liquor sales outlets.
“I advocated to the Attorney General, Vicki Chapman on behalf the general store operators in the electorate to seek a change to liquor licensing fees to ensure their fees are not increased in line with that of larger liquor retail outlets,” Mr McBride said.
“I am pleased that this has resulted in the Attorney General asking the Liquor and Gaming Commissioner to reduce the fees for business of this type from $2800 to $840, a fee which is similar to the liquor licensing fee they currently pay.
“I have spoken directly to the store owners that were to be impacted by liquor licensing fees increases, to let them know about the change, this advice has been well received.
“These general stores are the lifeblood of our smaller towns; they are important local outlets for a range of products and services including liquor sales.
“Fee increases such as those which were forecast may have meant the end of liquor sales through these outlets.”
The new fee structure will come into operation in November but will not apply to existing licences until the annual fee period starting in mid-2020. The discount will continue to apply to the annual fees of those licensees as long as they continue to trade in the same manner.
Labor frontbencher Clare Scriven said this was welcome backflip from the government and a sensible outcome for small businesses.
“It was outrageous that small bottle shops attached to local stores were going to be paying $2800 in licence fees,” Ms Scriven said.
” It could have resulted in some stores going out of business and local shops are essential for our local communities.
“This is a win for the local campaign against the crippling fee hike.
“I congratulate The South Eastern Times for spearheading this campaign.
“I also raised this in State Parliament and the combined pressure from many people has resulted in a win for common sense.”
Earlier this month, Ms Scriven had addressed the Legislative Council and expressed her opposition to the announced higher fees.
Ms Scriven quoted extensively from the coverage of the issue by The South Eastern Times.
“The Marshall Liberal government needs to seriously reconsider this policy, as it is hurting small bottle shop owners all across regional South Australia,” Ms Scriven said,
“For Mr Copelin and Mr Dinnison and many other small bottle shops it is about providing a service to people in the community, people who would otherwise have to travel distances to make a purchase. “It is also about sustaining small businesses in regional townships that are already struggling to survive.
“These kinds of increases and these huge hikes in taxation cannot possibly help these small townships and these small businesses.
“This huge increase needs to be reviewed.
“I would also like to commend The South Eastern Times for its coverage”.
