Alcohol Strategy and Action Plan 2009-2014

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Part 3 Supporting Information: Access to Alcohol in New Plymouth District

The Cost of Alcohol in the Community

The NPDC recognises that the sale and supply of alcohol is part of the wider living environment of New Plymouth District, and the legal and responsible sale and supply of alcohol can contribute to a vibrant local economy and community. Alcohol is the most commonly used recreational drug in New Zealand, and over 80% of New Zealanders report that they have drunk alcohol in the previous year. ³⁷

While most people drink without harming themselves or others, there is widespread acknowledgement that the misuse and abuse of alcohol can cause considerable harm to communities, individuals, and families. Nationally, the costs of alcohol related harms have been estimated at $2billion annually, including $655 million in public health costs, $200 million in social welfare costs, and $1.7billion in costs associated with lost productivity.³⁸ Working to reduce the effects of harmful alcohol use requires an integrated and intersectoral approach to the management of alcohol in the community.

Research evidence suggests that the local environment, including the density and management of licenced premises, influences drinking behaviours.³⁹ There is also a growing body of evidence to suggest significant links between the retail availability of alcohol, alcohol consumption and alcohol- related harms.⁴⁰ Poorly run premises are also associated with increased levels of alcohol related harms experienced by communities. Therefore, improved management of premises and increased monitoring and enforcement reduces the likelihood of the misuse of alcohol, and intoxication, on licenced premises.

Liquor Licences

To administer the Sale of Liquor Act framework, the Act provides key roles for four agencies:

The Liquor Licensing Authority (LLA).
District Licensing Agencies (DLA).
The Police.
Medical Officers of Health (District Health Board).
Fire Service

The New Plymouth District Council as the DLA is an independent statutory body that issue licences to enable liquor to be sold or supplied to the public, and monitor and enforce the conditions of licences.

There are five types of liquor licences issued by DLAs:

On-licence (for example, for a hotel, tavern, restaurant, or café). This licence authorises the holder to sell and supply liquor for consumption on the premises described in the licence.
Off -licence (for example, for a bottle store or supermarket). This licence authorises the holder to sell or deliver liquor on or from the premises described in the licence for consumption off the premises.
Club licence (for example, for a sports club, Returned Services' Association club, or workingmen's club). This licence authorises the holder to sell and supply liquor on the premises described in the licence, but only to club members and specified guests.
Special licence (for example, for a food and wine festival or for a party at an unlicenced venue such as a community hall). Special licences allow holders to sell and supply liquor to persons attending an occasion, event, or social gathering, or for the holder of an on-licence or a club licence to sell and supply liquor at any times when licenced premises are required to be closed. (Clubs can also apply for a special licence for events of club premises where the sale and supply of alcohol is not the core activity).
Temporary Authority licence allows the applicants to carry on the sale and supply of liquor under an existing ON or OFF licence for up to three months while their own application for a substantive licence is processed and determined. The holder of a temporary authority is under the same obligation to comply with the Sale of Liquor Act as the holder of the base licence. Return to top

Location Zoning and General Planning Provisions

The rules in the New Plymouth District Plan affect the location and type of liquor outlets. The sale of liquor is permitted in a business zone. Sites within 50m of a residential or rural zone require resource consent; other sites are permitted between 7am and 3am, depending on the type of business zoning. In industrial zones, where the site is more than 50m from a residential or rural area on- 44 Part 3 - Supporting Information licences may be open from 7am to 3am. Open space areas that are more than 50m from a residential or rural area may open 7am to 1am (11pm closing Sunday-Thursday).

In all other cases, on-licence premises are discretionary activities that require resource consent, subject to considerations relating to:

Noise effects.
Compatibility of the proposed business with existing activities.
Typography of the site.
Car parking numbers and location in relation to neighbouring premises.
The days of the week the premise is open.

Location and Distribution of Liquor Licences

There are 199 liquor licences within the New Plymouth DLA. Approximately half of these are on- licences (95 licences), with approximately one-third of the remainder being club licences (55 licences), and approximately one quarter off-licences (49 licences).

The geographical distribution of the licences across the district can be shown in graphs 1 to 3 below.

Graph 1 - Number and geographical distribution of On licences

Graph 1 - Number and geographical distribution of On licences.

Graph 2 - Number and geographical distribution of Off Licences

Graph 2 - Number and geographical distribution of Off Licences.

Graph 3 - Number and geographical distribution of Club Licences

Graph 3 - Number and geographical distribution of Club Licences.

References

³⁷ Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand. (2005). New Zealand and its drinking culture: A programme of change. Wellington: ALAC .

³⁸ Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand. (2005). New Zealand and its drinking culture: A programme of change. Wellington: ALAC .

³⁹ Alcohol Advisory Council Of New Zealand. (2005). Planning For Alcohol In The Community: Local Government Toolkit. ALAC: Wellington.

⁴⁰ Chikritzhs T, Catalano P, Pascal R, Henrickson N. (2007). Predicting Alcohol-Related Harms From Licenced Outlet Density: A Feasibility Study. National Drug Research Institute Curtin University Of Technology: Perth, Western Australia.

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