“My Member’s Bill, which will cut unnecessary red tape for hospitality venues was drawn from the biscuit tin today,” MP for Wairarapa, Mike Butterick says.

“The Bill makes two changes to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act. It allows restaurants to hold an on-licence and off-licence under the same roof and liberalises the requirement to serve low-alcohol products to allow the sale of no alcohol beer, wine, and spirits as well.

“The Act currently prohibits ‘shops within shops’, which means restaurants that are also speciality food stores have great difficulty in selling alcohol through an off-licence under the same roof and at the same time.

“This has become a particular point of frustration with local restaurants and vineyards in my electorate, who want to offer an enhanced dining experience for their customers but find there are too many regulatory hoops to jump through. This Bill fixes that.

“Additionally, this Bill modernises the law in respect to the growth of the ultra-low and non-alcohol market. Currently, the Act requires on-license and club-license premises to stock low-alcohol products but does not extend this requirement to allow no alcohol beer, wine, and spirits.

“With declining demand and production of mid-strength products, this has created a nonsensical requirement for businesses to stock products that consumers often won’t purchase and will reach expiry.

“This Bill makes it an ‘and/or’ by extending the provision to beer, wine, or spirits that contain less than 1.15% of ethanol.

“The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act is supposed to reduce alcohol-related harm, but sections of the Act are outdated and are stopping innovative restaurants from offering broader dining and retail experiences to improve the strength of their business.

“This Bill includes common-sense changes that I hope will receive broad support across Parliament. I will be working hard to garner support so that this Bill can be passed.”

A copy of the bill: Sale and Supply of Alcohol Restrictions on Issue

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