Another packaged liquor refusal for Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Once again, density of existing packaged liquor outlets plays a part in this refusal. Even proximity to the similarly saturated neighboring Waverley LGA was noted in this instance. It is telling that compared to the NSW average, Paddington has almost 3 times as many packaged liquor licences and Bondi Junction about 2.5 times as many. This decision confirms, as we have seen with some other near-recent refusals in Bondi Junction, that boutique or small-scale outlets are not immune. Pleasingly however, all hope is not lost - the recent grant of the IC Craft packaged liquor licence shows that it can be done! Critical is the lack of agency objections and a willingness to move outside the immediate cluster zones. Strong management history, catering to unsatisfied niche markets and mitigating risk with licence conditions and reduced trading hours can also boost your application.