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That the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki
Local Board:
a) thanks Belinda Hansen,
Principal Policy Analyst, for her attendance to speak to this report.
b) provides the following feedback on the Draft Auckland
Council Local Alcohol Policy:
i)
Proposed broad areas
1.
The board agrees
with the approach of having two general broad areas within the proposed
policy. This will be much more straightforward and easier for the community
to understand and for the District Licensing Committee to administer.
However, note our following comments in the importance of the priority
overlays.
ii)
Priority overlays
1.
It is essential
that the priority overlays are retained in the final policy as these areas
need specific interventions. There is distressingly ample evidence that
there is demonstrable alcohol-related harm occurring in these areas (as shown
by police intelligence information) arising in large part from the density
and hours of operation of licensed premises.
2.
It vital to
improving the well-being of our communities that these areas have different
rules from the remainder of the broad area.
iii) Temporary freeze in the priority overlay areas.
1.
The board
strongly support the proposal for a freeze in the priority overlay areas. As
discussed in Section 3.3 and sections 5.1.1 and 5.1.2 of the Proposal, the
freeze is designed “to limit the further the [sic] proliferation of licences
and to minimise alcohol-related harm.”
2.
Rather than
beginning with a two-year freeze that automatically expires, the board
recommends that the freeze should last as long as it takes to see a
significant reduction in alcohol-related harm in these areas.
3.
Before the
temporary freeze is lifted, there should be a review that includes all
available evidence, input from the local board and a specific decision by the
governing body.
iv) Rebuttable presumption
1.
The rebuttable
presumption is an excellent tool and needs to be retained in the final
policy. It is an excellent safeguard for neighbourhood centres which are
prone to the proliferation of liquor outlets often because of deteriorating
economic conditions.
2.
With an increase
in liquor outlets comes price competition and the increased availability of
low-priced alcohol.
3.
We note that
there needs to be a high thresh-hold for decisions to grant a licence where
the rebuttable presumption applies.
v) Environmental and Cumulative Impact Assessments
1.
The board
strongly supports the introduction of Environmental and cumulative impact
assessments, and particular support the sensitive site assessments. The
proposed list of sites to be considered sensitive is adequate.
2.
The introduction
of this tool needs to be supported with good advice on its use. It is
important that it does not deteriorate into a tool for drafting mitigating
conditions and that it is used to actually support a yes/no decision on a
licence application.
3.
Training for
members of the District Licensing Committee should be developed and put in
place to ensure the proper use and understanding of this tool.
4.
There also needs
to be a programme of review and a timetable for the assessment of this tool
as it is the most experimental element of the proposed policy.
vi) Maximum hours of operation for off-licences
1.
The board
staunchly supports the proposed opening hours with a commencement of no
earlier than 9.00am and a closing time of 10.00pm for all off-licenses.
2.
Purchasing
alcohol before 9.00am has the effect of normalising the purchase of alcohol
for young children.
3.
Note there is an
existing, successful, MOU between the NZ Police and the liquor store owners
in Glen Innes have the stores closing at 10.00pm.
vii) On-licences, club and special licences
1.
The board are in
agreement with the provisions for on-licences, and support shorter opening
hours in Area B than in Area A.
2.
The board
supports the proposed provisions regarding club and special licences. The
duty of care and the need for host responsibility makes them preferable
places for socialising with alcohol.
viii) Applications for extensions
1.
Whilst the Board
support the provisions regarding applications for extended opening hours, any
extensions should undergo a very good review process to ensure that the
operator continues their previous good practice and that the extension of
hours continues to be justified.
2.
Any extensions
need to be supported by the non-regulatory arm of Auckland Council, through
the application of the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy.
ix) Discretionary conditions
1.
The board
supports the proposed discretionary conditions.
x) Other matters:
1.
Gathering and
dissemination of statistics, the board suggests that it would be useful for
the council to collect and report on numbers of applications, the proportions
that are approved and disallowed, the location of applications, etc.
2.
Additional tools
to manage alcohol harm, additional tools are needed alongside this policy,
e.g., for dealing with specific issues such as the alcohol-fuelled parties
that spill out into public areas with associated noise, anti-social behaviour
and damage.
3.
Liquor bans, the board
would like to see a cohesive, Auckland-wide approach to applying, reviewing
and monitoring the success of liquor bans in reducing alcohol-related harm in
the community.
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