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New funds now open!

Funding information


Find out more about our new funding strategy and priorities here.

Last financial year went back into our communities

Here's how we support The West
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Our Stores & Venues

Your support keeps our communities thriving.
The money we distribute comes from surplus profits made by our retail and hospitality businesses.

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Keeping it local

From Huia to Whenuapai and everywhere in between, The Trusts are all about keeping things local in our communities. That’s why our surplus profits go right back into local schools, community groups, businesses and people who are dedicated to helping our place thrive. Owned by the community. Run by the community. For the community.

See when our next meeting is here.

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Media Releases & Meetings

Here's where you'll find updates on your stores & venues, monthly meetings, annual reports, financial statements & our Statement of Social Responsibility.

FAQs

  • Up until the 1940s, alcohol was prohibited or restricted in many parts of New Zealand. As prohibition faded out, many communities were still concerned about having a community-minded approach to the sale of alcohol. Licensing trusts were established in response to this and the first, the Invercargill Licensing Trust, was established in 1944 and is still going strong today.


    It wasn’t until the early 1970s that West Aucklanders voted to establish the Waitakere Licensing Trust and Portage Licensing Trust. The law allows for the Trusts’ mandate to manage alcohol sales in West Auckland to be challenged and every so often it is. The last time was in 2003 when a referendum was held and residents voted to retain the model.

  • No. The Trusts do not control liquor licensing, that is Auckland Council’s responsibility. Like anyone who wants to open a licensed venue in West Auckland, we must apply to the Auckland Council for a licence to operate our stores and venues.

  • We don’t. We have not opposed any licence applications in West Auckland for several years. The only venues that we have a community granted mandate to operate exclusively are those that trade late into the night (bars) where the primary focus is the sale of alcohol. These venues operate under a Tavern licence as required by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act (2012).

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