Auckland City Council
Media release

8 October 2009

Council advocates for greater local control over liquor regulation

Licensing of premises in Auckland city will continue as per the status quo after the City Development Committee today formally recommended to council to stop the draft liquor licensing policy consultation process now that the written submission period has closed.

“Given the nature of the feedback we thought we should revisit the process,” says Councillor Aaron Bhatnagar, chairperson of the City Development Committee.

The outcomes of the written submissions will be reported to the next committee meeting in November along with options for the future.

With the Law Commission review of the Sale of Liquor Act currently underway, the national framework for liquor regulation has yet to be confirmed.

A submission from Auckland City Council on the Law Commission’s issues paper outlines the council’s position that there should be greater local control over the sale and supply of liquor.

The submission focuses on issues relating to council’s responsibilities under current legislation, particularly in its role as the District Licensing Agency.

Councillor Paul Goldsmith, chairperson of the Community Services Committee, says it makes sense for local communities to be empowered to set local policies relating to opening hours and other controls on the sale of alcohol.

“The reduction of alcohol related harm is best achieved through working in partnership with community and other key stakeholders.

“The development of local alcohol plans are a positive way to encourage greater public involvement in liquor licensing decisions. We think that the Law Commission should consider the issue of local boards under a combined new Auckland city and any possible role they may have in setting local alcohol plans or liquor policy,” he says.

Two other issues highlighted in the submission that council is keen to address are the proliferation and hours of off-licences.

“A key concern about off-licensed premises is the level of licensee compliance with the Sale of Liquor Act. Legislative and local alcohol plan requirements for off-licences should focus on the proven causes of liquor related harm. We need to be focussing on the worst offenders when it comes to compliance, rather than arbitrary measures like square footage,” says Mr Goldsmith.

Other key points raised in the submission include:

• Support for well enforced liquor bans as an appropriate tool for managing alcohol consumption in public places

• Amendments to the roles and functions of both the District Licensing Agencies and the Liquor Licensing Authority

• Support for extended grounds on which licence applications and renewals may be refused by the District Licensing Agencies but concern that the grounds currently proposed are too broad and liable to be exploited

• Enabling District Licensing Agencies to apply money collected from fines to improve monitoring and enforcement of the legislation

• Focusing the legislative and local alcohol plan requirements for off-licences on monitoring and enforcement

• Giving equal weight to community views and more time to lodge them

• Giving statutory recognition to local alcohol plans that are developed with substantial community input

ENDS

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