Alcohol licencingRaihana hoko waipiro

Alcohol licenses are issued by the District Licensing Committee of Napier City Council. The committee considers and grants or renews applications for licences and manager’s certificates.

The requirement for licences and the criteria the Committee consider when granting them are set out in the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 and Regulations. View Act and Regulations.

The sale or supply of liquor to the public requires a licence under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012. There are four types of licences:

• On Licence
• Off Licence
• Club Licence
• Special Licence

A licence is issued to a named person, company or legal entity in relation to a premises or conveyance. Conveyances are vehicles such as aircraft, vessels, trains etc. A licence cannot be transferred from one person to another or from one premises or conveyance to another.

Contact us if you plan on selling or supplying liquor to the public, as you will need to consider planning and building issues and any other rules specific to your area. You will also need to talk to us about any requirements for kitchen, bar and toilet facilities.

Once you have lodged your application, you need to notify the public. To do this, download and complete the public notice template.

Local Alcohol Policy (LAP)

New Zealand’s alcohol laws were reformed in 2012 with the repeal of The Sale of Liquor Act 1989 and it's replacement with The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 (SSAA 2012).

The new Act  put in place a new system of control over the sale and supply of alcohol with an emphasis on local decision-making and harm minimisation. The overarching objectives of the Act are that:

• The sale, supply and consumption of alcohol should be undertaken safely and responsibly.
• The harm caused by the excessive or inappropriate consumption of alcohol should be minimised.

SSAA 2012 also empowered Councils to develop a Local Alcohol Policy (LAP) to control where and when alcohol can be sold. The LAP can then be referred to by District Licensing Committee when considering alcohol licence applications.

The joint LAP in essence contains the following provisions:

• Maximum trading hours for on, off, club and special licenses
• A one way door policy for on licences
• Location rules – where licenses can be situated
• Discretionary Conditions – such as the requirement of security

The LAP is now due for review and the proposed draft LAP 2025 will undergo public consultation in March 2025.

Below are the current associated documents:

• Research report – to inform policy changes as required under section 78 of the SSAA 2012
• Issues and Options paper – policy position paper

VIEW THE LOCAL ALCOHOL POLICY HERE