Media Release
16 June 2014

Have your say on the sale of alcohol

Aucklanders are invited to have their say on when, where and how alcohol is sold.

You can make written submissions on the draft Auckland Council Local Alcohol Policy until 16 July 2014.

Cr George Wood, Chair of the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee, says the draft policy has been more than 18 months in development, and has been informed by extensive research and discussion with stakeholders.

“The council wants to ensure that we balance the need to minimise alcohol-related harm with the desire to have a vibrant, exciting, yet safe Auckland for residents and visitors to enjoys.

“We have engaged closely with the hospitality and retail trades, the Police, the Medical Officer of Health, licensing inspectors and health agencies, to ensure the provisions will be effective in reducing alcohol-related harm and practical to implement.”

During the consultation period the council will have information stands at locations around Auckland where people can stop by and ask questions.

Hearings will be scheduled and a provisional policy adopted by the council’s Governing Body. Submitters on the draft policy will have the option of appealing the provisional policy.

A summary of the key proposals in the draft policy follows:

• The identification of three areas where different rules apply – Broad Area A - Auckland’s city centre and the main streets of Newton and Ponsonby, Broad Area B - the rest of Auckland, and Priority Overlay -specifically identified streets and centres across the region where there are greater levels of alcohol-related harm

• A 24-month freeze on issuing new off licences (eg supermarkets and bottle stores) in Broad Area A and the Priority Overlay where there is already a saturation point of off-licences

• No new off-licences in small neighbourhood centres unless the District Licensing Committee can be satisfied that the licence will be of benefit to the community and would not create alcohol-related harm

• This will be tested through a new environmental and cumulative impact assessment tool and will also apply across Broad Area A and Prioirty Overlay after the 24 month freeze

• Implementing maximum trading hours of 9am to 10pm region-wide, for all types of off-licences. This is a reduction from the national default hours of 7am to 11pm

• Managing the location and density of higher-risk on-licences (eg bars and taverns ) through a new environmental and cumulative impact assessment tool. This will evaluate the likely impact of new licences on local communities, including criteria such as existing licences and nearby schools.

• Restricting on-licence trading hours overall from the current default of 8am to 4am across the region, as follows:

o Broad Area A: standard maximum hours of 9am to 3am.Broad Area B: standard maximum hours of9am to 1am

o An option for best-practice operators to apply for trial extensions of up to two hours, preferred in large centres and refused in residential areas.

o Priority Overlay: same hours as the underlying broad area, but ineligible for trial extensions.

The draft policy has been developed under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2013, which is intended to empower local councils, in consultation with their local communities, to have greater influence over decisions about local licencing conditions.

“We believe this is a great starting place for the community to tell us what they think and whether we have the balance right,” says Cr Wood.

To make a submission and to read the Statement of Proposal (containing the draft policy), shapeauckland.co.nz.

Ends

Editor’s notes

Attached is an information pack you may find helpful.
Draft_Auckland_Council_Local_Alcohol_Policy_Media_Information_Pack.pdf

The council will have an information stall at the following events. Please check our website shapeauckland.co.nz for updates as some venues are weather dependent.
EVENT/VENUE TIME
Ōtara flea market Morning of Sat 21 Jun
Manurewa flea market Morning of Sun 22 June
Manukau Institute of Technology Midday Wed 25 Jun
Māngere flea market Morning of Sat 28 June
Avondale flea market Morning of Sun 29 June
Papakura Recreation Centre Evening of Tue 1 July
The Community Cafe, Otahuhu Evening of Wed 2 July
Onehunga Night Market Evening of Thu 3 July
Papatoetoe Night Market Evening of Fri 4 July

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