By Auckland Councillor Josephine Bartley
How is it that when i grew up, my cousins and I could walk up to our neighbourhood shops and, at the time, they consisted of a bakery, lawnmower shop, dairy and a fish and chip shop? Today the same neighbourhood shops in Imrie Ave, Mangere consist of a takeaway, dairy and a heavily branded liquor store.
Why is it that children today are faced with liquor stores in their neighbourhoods and town centres like it’s a normal thing?
Why is it that communities have been crying out for change - wanting to see better for their neighbourhoods by objecting to new liquor stores opening up, when they say they already have too many?
Why is it that from 2018 to 2023, the District Licensing Committee received 9,490 applications for liquor licences and out of this number, just 23 applications were refused?
A Law Commission document titled Alcohol in Our Lives states hat the theme that has emerged from a body of studies into alcohol-related harm has become increasingly clear: the higher the density of outlets, the greater the likelihood of crime and anti-social behaviour.
Auckland’s mayor and councillors have adopted a local alcohol policy for our region. This will introduce new measures that regulate where and when alcohol is available in our communities.
The new policy will mean that, from 16 September 2024, there will be a freeze on new off-licences opening in Auckland’s central city and 23 areas across the region for two years. From 9 December 2024, changes to the times that alcohol can be sold will come in. Off-licences across Tāmaki Makaurau must not sell alcohol after 9pm. Bars, restaurants and nightclubs outside the central city must stop serving alcohol at 3am.
I, along with my fellow councillors and local board members, have been advocating for greater control over the sale and supply of alcohol for many years. This is what communities have demanded we, as council, do something about. Limits on trading hours and locations are known to be a key factor towards helping keep people safe from alcohol-related harm.
Throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, communities have been battling to get the balance right since major reform introduced the Sale of Liquor Act in 1989. Then, when the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act was brought in back in 2012, it allowed councils and communities to design policies so local people could have a say over where and when alcohol would be available.
In May 2015, Auckland’s Regional Strategy and Policy Committee adopted a provisional local alcohol policy (known as the PLAP). Collaboration with Aucklanders was key when it came to designing the policy. The council wanted to understand what worked, what needed to change, and what would have the most impact. People from all walks of life took part in the consultation – residents, business owners, local boards, residents’ associations, health practitioners and legal experts to name a few.
Through this process, people told us that an area-based approach would be more appropriate than a blanket rule across Auckland. Area-specific policies are used in other countries to protect communities and the character of an area. It made sense to have different rules based on the number of existing licences and alcohol risk factors. Other elements were also considered, such as the different kinds of licences held for premises in the district, the location and opening hours of those premises, and overall health indicators.
Once the policy was notified, the act allowed 30 days for appeals. What started as a standard policy consultation and submissions process soon turned into a legal battle between the council and supermarkets that ended up lasting eight years.
The council has continued to fight for this policy on behalf of our communities. The point of local alcohol policies is to reflect local voices in alcohol regulation. It’s not a ban on drinking - it’s a chance for communities to influence the location, number and trading hours of businesses licensed to sell alcohol.
I’m proud that Auckland Council has remained committed to achieving these outcomes for our communities. It’s also a big step for other councils who, across Aotearoa New Zealand, continue to fight to get local alcohol policies across the line, and the voices of their communities heard.
Josephine Bartley is councillor of Auckland’s Maungakiekie-Tāmaki ward, and chair of Auckland Council’s Regulatory and Safety Committee.
