On Tap Liquor Consulting applied to Horsham Rural City Council for a planning permit to sell packaged liquor from a new store in Hamilton Street.

The store will be adjacent to Grampians Community Health, which provides alcohol and other drug counselling. Headspace Horsham is also in Hamilton Street.

Council approved the planning permit at a meeting on Monday night, in a discussion that divided councillors.

Cr David Grimble said the company submitted the planning application to council before other health services in the street were established.

“There has been no objections from those services to this proposed store,” he said.

Cr Grimble said council needed to send a clear message that Horsham was open for business.

“If we reject the permit, we are sending the message that we are not open,” he said.

“There is also 26 other licensed premises in Horsham’s central business district.

“The store will provide an opportunity for choice – an extra outlet will not increase consumption, just create competition.”

Cr Josh Koenig said the location wasn’t suitable. 

“There will be vulnerable people leaving counselling services, only to be confronted face-to-face with a new liquor outlet,” he said.

“For some people, alcohol is a coping mechanism.

“I don’t want to be the reason people turn to alcohol.”

Cr Koenig said while the shop would bring employment opportunities to the area, it wasn’t a good enough reason to approve the permit.

“The cost of a job for one person could mean the wellbeing of another,” he said.

Mayor Pam Clarke said the location of the shop was suitable because it was in the main business area of the city.

Cr Clarke said the store would specialise in high-end wines, therefore filling a gap in the community.

“The store isn’t targeting young people, it’s a niche market that we don’t have,” she said.

“We need to be progressively developing our community and this is a good use of a space that is vacant.

“It will provide employment to the community and generate economic growth.”

Cr Koenig and Cr John Robinson voted against the planning permit.