Provisional Local Alcohol Policy appealed

Four appeals have been lodged against the Eastern Bay of Plenty’s Provisional Local Alcohol Policy, which was publicly notified in February this year. These are from ‘Hospitality New Zealand Incorporated’, ‘Foodstuffs North Island Limited’, ‘The Mill Retail Holdings and Independent Liquor (NZ) Limited’ and ‘Super Liquor Holdings’.

The Eastern Bay of Plenty Local Alcohol Policy is the collaborative work of the Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki and Kawerau District Councils. The Policy aims to reduce alcohol-related harm across the three districts while balancing the economic benefits of related activities throughout the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

The appeals cover a range of concerns, including the contention that one-way door restrictions may penalise responsible consumers; opening hours are not uniform across types of off-licence premises (supermarkets and other off-licence operators); and that different approaches are used by the three Councils in relation to applications in sensitive locations.

Ōpōtiki District Council Planning and Regulatory Manager, Barbara Dempsey, explained the next steps.

“The Local Alcohol Policy won’t become effective until the appeals are resolved and that involves a public process through the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority (ARLA). The three Councils are currently working together to ensure they have clarity about the issues raised in the appeals and hope to be able to resolve some of the matters directly with the appellants. Any remaining issues will go through the formal process, with a hearing likely to be set by ARLA later this year,” Ms Dempsey said.

ENDS

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