It's the home of Prime Minister Scott Morrison's beloved Cronulla Sharks rugby league team, and part of the furniture in the Sutherland Shire. But Shark Park has been ruled too dangerous for a bottle shop to open on game nights, in a regulatory battle that ended up in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

The concerns involve a forthcoming residential and commercial town centre on Woolooware Bay, adjacent to Shark Park, which developer Capital Bluestone describes as "Paradise Found: Our bay comes to life." The attached shopping centre will contain a Dan Murphy's liquor store located about 100 metres from the nearest entrance to the stadium.

Aerial view of the Woolooware Bay Town Centre development, including Shark Park, home of the Cronulla Sharks. Credit:Wolter Peeters

In 2018, NSW Police opposed the licence application, with Sergeant Darrin Thompson saying the store would make it "extremely convenient" for rugby fans to smuggle booze into the stadium - which was already part of a "significant and ongoing" problem with alcohol at Shark Park.

The Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority, which regulates liquor licences, decided the store must close for the two hours before and after a first grade rugby game at Shark Park, or any "fight night" boxing match, due to the potential for increased alcohol-related harm.