The government has signed off on loosening alcohol restrictions with fewer hurdles for bars and bottle stores, as first revealed by RNZ earlier this month.
The proposed changes to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act would make it harder for people to block liquor licences and simpler for ministers to declare one-off special trading hours for pubs or clubs screening major sport or cultural events.
Speaking at Auckland’s Lula Inn on Thursday morning, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee said the shake-up was about cutting red tape and restoring “fairness and practicality”.
“Most New Zealanders who choose to drink alcohol do so responsibly,” McKee said. “Responsible drinkers should not be penalised because of the behaviour of a few who do not drink safely.”
Under the reforms, only people from the local community would be able to object to new licence applications, while applicants would gain a formal right of reply.
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Licensing committees would also be required to change a licence’s conditions when it came up for renewal under tougher Local Alcohol Policies, rather than rejecting it outright.
The government would also modernise the law to reflect the growth of zero- and low-alcohol products, while requiring venues to stock a wider range of them.
“People deserve to have choices, including the choice to enjoy a drink responsibly, or to opt for non-alcoholic alternatives that suit their lifestyle,” McKee said.
“The current rules around non-alcoholic options are overly restrictive and don’t reflect how people actually drink today.”
Other changes include allowing wineries, breweries and distilleries to hold both on- and off-licences, and letting hairdressers and barbers serve small amounts of alcohol without a licence.
McKee insisted the reforms maintained safeguards against alcohol harm, noting that territorial authorities retained all current powers to regulate alcohol through local policies and licensing committees.
“These changes strike a careful balance: they make life fairer for responsible drinkers and honest businesses, while continuing to target the areas where alcohol misuse can cause real harm,” McKee said.
In early August, RNZ reported on a leaked Cabinet paper showing the minister had shifted the focus of her reforms away from some “harm reduction measures” and toward “reducing regulatory burden”
In particular, McKee dropped an earlier plan to restrict the hours bottle stores and supermarkets could sell alcohol.
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