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Alcohol policy for Auckland takes next step
13 May 2015
Alcohol policy for Auckland
takes next step
A policy to manage the sale and
supply of alcohol in Auckland took another step today with
Auckland Council adopting its provisional local alcohol
policy (LAP).
The Regional Strategy and Policy Committee today endorsed the recommendations of a hearings panel that took in to consideration more than 2600 submissions received on the draft policy last year.
The provisional policy can now be notified and those who submitted on the draft have a right of appeal.
Hearings panel chair, Cr Bill Cashmore believes the provisional policy has achieved a good balance.
“At the forefront of our decision making was ensuring we have a policy that helped towards reducing alcohol related harm in our communities. But we also recognised the importance of the hospitality industry in terms of employment and its contribution to the economy.
“There are many strong views and I can assure the community and business that we took all of those on board and made some changes to the policy as a result.”
Among the main policy
options included in the council’s provisional LAP
are:
· Maximum trading hours for on-licences of
8am to 4am in Auckland’s CBD and 8am up to 3am for the
rest of Auckland
· No option of extension of
hours for on-licences
· Maximum trading hours
for all off-licences, including supermarkets of between 9am
and 9pm
· Creation of 23 priority areas where a
variety of policy tools will be used to manage density and
location
· One of these is a two year freeze on
the issuing of new off-licences in priority areas from when
the policy comes in to effect
· A range of
discretionary licensing conditions
· The panel
also recommended that the proposal included in the draft
regarding single sale be amended as a result of
submissions.
Once the provisional policy is notified, submitters have 30 days to make an appeal.
The appeals are then considered by the Alcohol Regulatory Licensing Authority (ARLA) which will determined whether the appeals are reasonable in light of the act.
It is unsure how long that process will take so until then, current licensing regulations apply.
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