29 May 2024

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Councillors are set to revisit a policy outlining how alcohol should be sold and supplied in Christchurch.

Recent changes to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 have simplified the process for councils developing their own Local Alcohol Policy (LAP), and for communities to participate in alcohol licensing decisions in their district.

Any council can develop its own LAP, in consultation with the local community, to influence factors such as the number, location, and opening hours of licenced premises. Christchurch City Council paused its previous efforts to implement a LAP in 2017 after a four-year process involving appeals and a judicial review.

On Wednesday 5 June, councillors will decide whether to develop a new LAP with the wider community, following the 2023 amendments and recent case law made in the Supreme Court. Read the report. 

The amendments 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.

“We began work on our first LAP in 2013 and had to hit pause four years later after it became tied up with appeals and judicial review,” says David Griffiths, Head of Strategic Policy and Resilience. 

“However, last year’s changes to the Act mean that we can now revisit the LAP with less risk of the process stalling. 

“That said, it’s always our commitment to work closely with our communities to make sure any policy is tailored to our city’s needs,” Mr Griffiths says. 

Should councillors decide to proceed, the next step is for the Council to produce a draft LAP and take it out for public feedback using a full Special Consultative Procedure, and then vote to adopt. 

This would take an estimated 18 months, and once the LAP is adopted, it would be reviewed every six years. 

To request a deputation at the 5 June meeting, contact Katie Matheis, Democratic Services Advisor, at CouncilSupportSSO@ccc.govt.nz or 03 941 5643.