Local Alcohol PolicyNgā Kaupapa Here Kai Waipiro ā-Rohe

What is a Local Alcohol Policy?

Under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, councils can develop local alcohol policies (LAPs) to influence the location, number and trading hours of businesses licensed to sell alcohol. You can read our Local Alcohol Policy in full here.

LAPs generally encourage the responsible sale, supply and consumption of alcohol and focus on reducing alcohol-related harm. The policy can influence:

• where new alcohol licences can be established.
• how many new alcohol licences are allowed.
• when bars, restaurants and nightclubs can be open.
• when bottle shops and supermarkets can sell alcohol.
• when clubs (e.g. sports clubs) can sell alcohol.

LAPs can also set out conditions that can be applied to alcohol licences to improve industry standards and promote safe and responsible sale and supply of alcohol.

LAPs need to be considered by the relevant District Licensing Committee (DLC) and the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority (ARLA) when they make decisions on new licence applications.

The LAP will also have some effect on existing licences.

Our local alcohol policy

The development of Central Hawke’s Bay's LAP began in 2013. Since this time, there has been public consultation and hearings, and an appeal against the Provisional LAP. This appeal was resolved in 2017, and the Provisional LAP was approved by the Alcohol Regulatory Licensing Authority on 1 August 2018.

Following its approval, Council adopted the plan on 20 September 2018 and resolved that it will come into effect from 1 November 2018 (with some clauses coming into effect from 1 February 2019).

What is in our local alcohol policy?

Our LAP largely confirms the parameters for the sale and supply of alcohol as set out in the District Plan.

Some new conditions have been introduced, including the ability for the District Licensing Committee to institute a one-way door policy for licenses.

The new conditions cannot be retrospectively applied. That is, only licenses that are new or being renewed after the date of effect will potentially have the new conditions applied as part of their licence.

All premises and license holders have been sent a letter outlining the details of this policy and a copy of the policy itself. If you are a premises or license holder that has not received a copy of the LAP, please get in touch with Council’s Liquor Licensing Inspector on 06 8578 060.