The History of the Portage Licensing Trust

Bottle at the bar with a blurred background

Establishing Portage (1972–1973)

In the early 1970s, West Aucklanders voted to adopt the trust model instead of a fully open market. Three trusts were created: Portage, Waitākere, and Mount Albert.

  • The Portage Licensing Trust (PLT) was formally constituted in 1972.

  • The first trustee elections were held in October that year, and the inaugural board met in November 1972.

  • In 1973, Parliament passed local legislation confirming the West Auckland trusts’ governance and trading rights.

Portage initially covered New Lynn, Titirangi, Glen Eden, and surrounding suburbs, with a defined set of hotels and bottle stores to operate.

Consolidation (1986)

In 1986, the Mount Albert Licensing Trust was dissolved. Its area was redistributed, and Portage absorbed part of it. Since then, West Auckland has been served by just two trusts: Portage and Waitākere.

How the Model Works

  • Exclusive trading rights: Within their boundaries, the trusts have preferential rights to operate taverns, hotels, and bottle stores.

  • Governance: Trustees are elected every three years as part of local elections.

  • Community giveback: Surpluses are returned to the community through grants, sponsorships, and support for local projects.

  • Operations: Portage (and Waitākere) jointly own West Auckland Trust Services Ltd (WATS), which runs the day-to-day retail and hospitality operations.

Key Milestones

  • 1972–73: Portage established, first elections held.

  • 1986: Mount Albert Licensing Trust dissolved; Portage expanded.

  • 1998: Creation of WATs to manage PLT and WLT operations

  • 2003: Local referendum confirmed community support for the model.

  • 2021: A community petition for a referendum on ending the monopoly fell short.

  • 2022–23: Rebranding of bottle stores into Liquorland and Super Liquor franchises, while ownership stayed with the Trusts.

Today

The Portage Licensing Trust covers Avondale, Blockhouse Bay, New Lynn, Glen Eden, Titirangi, and surrounding suburbs. Ten trustees are elected across five wards.

Trading outlets are operated under franchise brands, but remain community-owned. Profits continue to be directed back to local projects, with oversight from the elected board.

Origins: Why Licensing Trusts Exist

Licensing trusts are a uniquely New Zealand model. They were created after prohibition ended to give communities a way to manage alcohol sales responsibly and keep control local. The first trust was set up in Invercargill in 1944, and Parliament followed with the Licensing Trusts Act 1949, which set the framework still in place today.