By law, there are three and a half days during the year that trade is restricted: Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and until 1pm on Anzac Day.
In 2016, central government passed the responsibility for Easter trading hours to councils. In 2017, Auckland Council consulted with the public who supported restricted trading over Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
This year, Auckland Council’s alcohol licensing inspectors carried out random visits to 369 premises on Good Friday and Easter Sunday to ensure the city’s pubs and bars were complying with the Easter Trading laws.
For licensed venues that means if patrons want to drink they must have a meal, and the council is responsible for ensuring these trading conditions are met.
The inspectors visited 233 premises on Good Friday and gave warnings and education material to three who were serving alcohol.
Easter Sunday saw 136 visits and 13 warnings given. Three premises were caught serving alcohol in conditions that breached their licences and will be referred to the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority. The standard sanction imposed for a breach of this part of the law could be a minimum two-day suspension.
This year, when one inspector approached an Auckland bar on Good Friday and asked for wine, they were promptly poured a glass. But when the inspector asked if they should order anything with it, the bar staff offered a bowl of miso soup as a meal.
Another bar caught serving alcohol was asked if they had a duty manager available to speak to, only to be told they had popped to the bank - on Good Friday.
A third premises had no food to serve at all. The business was an off-license in Newmarket that was caught selling alcohol on the prohibited days.
Easter weekend inspections
Peter Knight, Manager at Alcohol Licensing, said the council had five alcohol licensing inspectors out on Good Friday, and nine on Easter Sunday checking for compliance.
“We were pretty pleased with the results of the blitz, the majority of the businesses were trading within the rules of their licences,” he says.
“There were some premises that sadly did not meet the conditions and we will be taking the appropriate action.”
The intention of the dining provision is to allow persons who really do need to consume a meal (e.g. tourists, hotel guests, those away from home) to be able to do so with an alcoholic drink as an accompaniment. This is not a situation where food is eaten just to justify drinking alcohol.
The law also allows alcohol to be drunk while the customer is waiting for their meal to be cooked and served and for a short time after they have finished their meal.
“Please don’t take risks; only serve alcohol to customers eating a substantial meal, and adhere to the conditions of your licence.”
