Local Alcohol Policy clauses take effect on 2 December 2019
Published on 25 November 2019
Whanganui District Council’s Local Alcohol Policy one-way door condition and maximum trading hours for licensed premises will come into force on Monday, 2 December 2019 – three months after notification that the policy took effect.
Clauses 1, 2 and 5 of the policy immediately came into effect on 2 September 2019, with clauses 3 and 4 requiring a three-month lead-in period.
The Local Alcohol Policy(PDF, 305KB) aims to reduce alcohol-related harm in the Whanganui District by: considering the location of licensed premises in relation to sensitive sites such as schools; limiting the number of off-licenses (excluding supermarkets and grocery stores); introducing a one-way door restriction for on-licences where licensed hours exceed midnight and maximum trading hours for licensed premises; and including discretionary conditions for the District Licensing Committee.
The Council's Compliance Operations Manager, Warrick Zander, says, “The tighter maximum trading hours and one-way door condition of the Local Alcohol Policy are the final clauses of the policy to come into force.
“There was a three-month lead-in time to these restrictions to enable the Council to clearly communicate the new requirements to licensees and give them time to prepare for the changes.
“These final restrictions will contribute to a safer Whanganui by reducing alcohol availability and staggering the timing of patrons leaving on-licenced premises,” Warrick Zander says.
Police and Licensing Inspectors will visit licensed premises to check and assist licensees’ compliance with the new requirements.
The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 allows councils to adopt a policy relating to the sale, supply and consumption of alcohol for their district.
The provisions of the Local Alcohol Policy coming into force on Monday, 2 December 2019 are:
Clause 3 – A one-way door restriction will apply
- A one-way door restriction for on-licences where licensed hours exceed midnight. This means anyone exiting an on-licence one hour before the establishment closes won’t be admitted or re-admitted.
Clause 4 – Maximum licensed hours
- Maximum hours for on-licence tavern, bar, pub or nightclubs are 8.00am to 2.00am the following day. For clubs and on-licence restaurants, the maximum hours are 8.00am to midnight.
- Maximum licensed hours for off-licence grocery stores, supermarkets and bottle stores are 7.00am to 10.00pm. Maximum licensed hours for off-licence hotels, bars, taverns and cellar doors are 7.00am to 9.30pm.