The Council is about to go out for feedback on possible options for addressing alcohol-related harm in the community.

The work is part of the development of a potential Local Alcohol Policy (LAP), which would set out how alcohol should be sold and supplied in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.

Councils develop LAPs in consultation with their communities and can include policies to restrict the number, location, and opening hours of licenced premises, such as bars, cafes and restaurants, supermarkets and bottle stores. The policies in a LAP can apply across either the whole city and district or only in identified local areas.

“We need to ensure any LAP we develop meets the needs of our city, and the best way to do this is to work very closely with the community and industry as we develop and test our policy options,” says Deputy Mayor Pauline Cotter.

“The options we’ve come up with have been informed by months of research and conversations with representatives from NZ Police, Te Whatu Ora, hospitality, supermarkets and off-licence retailers. Now’s our chance to test them with the public and refine our thinking, and then present a full Draft Local Alcohol Policy for Councillors to consider.

“The main message we’ve heard so far is that communities want more say about licensing, particularly around how close licensed premises can be to community facilities or places like schools.”

The options will go out for public engagement from 17 February to 9 March, with the intention of having a LAP confirmed before the local elections in October 2025.

If a LAP is adopted, it must be reviewed every six years.

The Council paused its previous work on a draft LAP in 2017 after a four-year process involving appeals and a judicial review. Recent changes to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 have removed the requirement for councils to produce a provisional version of their LAP first, as well as the ability of other parties to appeal any element of it. This has simplified the process for councils developing their own LAP, and for communities to participate in alcohol licensing decisions in their district.

Read more on the LAP and subscribe to updates here.

The options are:

Reducing the trading hours for off-licences
The maximum trading hours are currently 7am–11pm, and our option proposes reducing trading hours at night. This could apply to bottle shops, supermarkets and small convenience and specialty stores.

Reducing the trading hours for on-licences in suburban areas
The maximum trading hours are currently 8am–4am the next day, and our option proposes reducing trading hours at night. This could apply to bars, pubs, nightclubs, cafés, restaurants, and social and sports clubs in suburban areas.

Putting a temporary “freeze” on new licence applications in areas of high deprivation
This would apply to all kinds of licences in commercial areas that serve communities with high levels of deprivation, which research shows are home to a disproportionate level of alcohol-related harm.

Restrict licenced premises from being located near sensitive sites
This would mean no new licensed premises within a certain distance of community facilities considered sensitive.

Introducing one-way door restrictions
This would apply to on-licence premises from a specific time before closing, to encourage people drinking late at night to stay in a supervised venue.

Reducing harm using other measures that sit outside the scope of a LAP
We could investigate other tools that could be used alongside, or instead of, a LAP. We won’t be seeking community views on specific tools at this stage, but feedback could help us identify them.