PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Liquor licence changes and deadlines

All applications for alcohol licences for events in December and January must be lodged by 21 November at the latest to ensure they are processed prior to the holiday period, applications received after this time might still be processed prior to the Christmas close down but Council cannot guarantee this.

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 came into force last year, with central government requiring applications for alcohol licences to be made 20 working days prior to the event. Previously these were done on a case by case basis.

Processing of liquor licences is prohibited during a statutory shut down between 20 December to 15 January. For events in mid-January to February, people are encouraged to get applications in as soon as possible so they can be processed before the statutory shut down period.

Wairoa District Council Regulatory Manager, Helen Montgomery says, “many applicants are still not aware of the changes under the new legislation. The 20 day rule and increased application fees had all come into force under the new Act.”

“It’s important that we remind applicants of these changes and the process they need to go through to apply for a liquor licence”, says Ms Montgomery.

To sell or supply alcohol, vendors must apply for the appropriate alcohol licence.

“Applicants must ensure they have the correct licence. Each licence has its own application form, non-refundable fees and requirements for specific additional documentation. People may still contact council to discuss their needs if they miss application close-off dates.”

“This is similar to our consents process too, which also has application deadlines of this Friday due to a statutory close down period”, says Ms Montgomery

Liquor license forms and fees are available on council’s website - http://www.wairoadc.govt.nz/wairoa/services/licences/index.htm

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