Changes to the Wairarapa Local Alcohol Policy

The Wairarapa District Councils have a role in alcohol licensing, through developing the Local Alcohol Policy, administering the District Licensing Committee which manages licensing matters within their district, and through its other powers and responsibilities under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, including appointing licensing inspector(s).

A local alcohol policy is a set of decisions made by council/s in consultation with their community about the sale and supply of alcohol. The policy can set the maximum trading hours, where and how alcohol can be sold. Licensing bodies (The District Licensing Committee and the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority) must consider the policy when making decisions on applications for a licence.

A local alcohol policy generally encourages the responsible sale, supply and consumption of alcohol and focuses on reducing alcohol related harm.

A local alcohol policy can influence:

• where premises with an alcohol licence can be located
• how many new alcohol licences are allowed
• when premises (e.g. bars, restaurants and nightclubs, supermarkets and bottle stores) can be sell alcohol
• when clubs (eg sports clubs, RSAs) can sell or supply alcohol
• the issue of special licences for events.

The policy can only influence licensing matters and has no impact on pricing.

A local alcohol policy can also set out conditions that can be applied to alcohol licences. This is to improve industry standards and promote safe and responsible sale and supply of alcohol.

The proposed local alcohol policy will also have some effect on existing licences.

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act put in place a new system of control over the sale and supply of alcohol for the benefit of the community. The object of the Act is the safe and responsible sale, supply, and consumption of alcohol and the minimisation of harm caused by its excessive or inappropriate use of alcohol. It replaced the Sale of Liquor Act 1989. The Act enables greater ability of communities to have a say about alcohol licensing in their local area.

For more information, search the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

The current Wairarapa Local Alcohol Policy is shared between Masterton, Carterton and South Wairarapa District Councils and came into effect in 2018. It is now due for review. A review must occur at least every six years as set out in the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012. The review ensures that the policy remains up to date and addresses current issues and opportunities in our communities.

The key changes proposed are:

• No new off-licences will be granted for premises within 100m of a sensitive site, unless an exemption applies. An off-licence premise is one that can sell alcohol for consumption somewhere else e.g. at home. A sensitive site includes sites such as a childcare or educational facility, playground or recreational facility, healthcare facility, marae, a place of worship. Applications relating to existing off-licence premises are exempt.
• The maximum trading hours for off-licence premises updated from 7.00am to 10.00pm to 9.00am to 10.00pm. This excludes supermarkets and grocery stores which retain the hours of 7.00am to 10.00pm.
• A special licence is used to sell and supply alcohol to people attending an event. We have proposed an amendment to provide flexibility to how events are structured across a year. Rather than restricting a licensee to one entertainment evening a month, we have amended the Policy to state that premises may have up to 12 events under a special licence in any 12-month period, and that a special licence for a series of events should not exceed a period of six months. A permanent licence (or variation to an existing permanent licence) would be required to exceed this.
• Special licences will not be granted for events focused on children and young people aged under 18 years old. Examples include children’s sports games, school galas and school kapa haka events. The age limit aligns with the legal age to purchase alcohol which is 18 years.
• A requirement that, in considering licence applications, the District Licensing Committee has regard to the appropriateness of associating the consumption of alcohol with driving events, and that applicants must demonstrate they have put in place practical steps to minimise the risk of driving under the influence of alcohol.

In developing our proposed changes we researched and had input from key stakeholders such as Police, the Medical Officer of Health (Health NZ/ Te Whatu Ora), Licencing Inspectors, Destination Wairarapa and Te Hauora Runanga o Wairarapa. The proposed amendments aim to support the reduction of alcohol related harm in our communities whist balancing the needs of our local economy.

The full rationale is available in the Council Report (PDF, 5.7MB) and Statement of Proposal (PDF, 625KB).

• Online: Complete the online submission form.
• Email: Download a fillable submission form (PDF, 163KB) and email it to submissions@mstn.govt.nz.
• In Person: Pick up and/or drop off a submission form from one of our libraries or customer service centres:
  • Masterton District Council 161 Queen Street, Masterton
  • Carterton District Council 28 Holloway Street, Carterton
  • South Wairarapa District Council 19 Kitchener Street, Martinborough
• or Post it to: Masterton District Council, Freepost 112477, PO Box 444, Masterton 5840.
• By Phone: Call the Masterton team on 06 370 6300 between 9am and 4pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) and tell us what you think.

For people wanting to formally present their views, a joint hearing by two elected representatives of each of the district councils will be held on Wednesday 23 October 2024 in Carterton. You will need to indicate on your submission form that you would like to participate in the hearing.

Feedback will inform the final local alcohol policy presented to each of the Wairarapa District Councils for approval in November or December 2024.

The proposed changes could affect the community for years to come. Now is your opportunity to tell us how you want to see alcohol licensing managed in the Wairarapa.