Alcohol policy 'doesn't go far enough'

The Far North District Council's draft policy, allowing for an unlimited number of off-licence premises in Kaikohe, and throughout the district, had little if any community support according to the Kaikohe Church Leaders' Forum.

Nor did the proposal to grant supermarkets off-licences to sell alcohol from 7am to 10pm seven days a week.

Forum spokesman Mike Shaw noted that the council's policy, which would apply to the whole of the Far North District, was being formulated according to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, which passed responsibility for minimising the harm caused by excessive or inappropriate alcohol consumption to local communities via local government policy.

Many of the 98 written submissions made to the council's draft policy called for a cap on the number of liquor outlets and a reduction in hours of sale and accessibility, Senior Constable Graeme Wright saying it was well documented that any reduction in the availability of alcohol produced a reduction in harm. The submission from the police called for a cap on the number of liquor outlets and restricting supermarket alcohol sales to between 9am and 10pm, the same as proposed for bottle stores.

Kaikohe man Shaun Reilly did not believe that that went far enough, however. He argued that off-licences for supermarkets and grocery shops should not be renewed.

"Grocery and supermarket trading (in alcohol) is relatively new and it is not their raison d'tre, and therefore not essential to their stock and trade," he said.

"Removing alcohol from supermarkets would be a limiting factor on the ease of access to the younger population, and will result in fewer alcohol-related offences."

He had organised a "quick" petition in Kaikohe, calling on the council to draft a tighter policy on the sale of alcohol, and gained 100 signatures with little effort, in one day, he added. He was considering continuing the petition in response to strong community willingness to reduce alcohol harm, and the possibility of the matter going to appeal "if the council doesn't get it right".

Other submissions called for tighter controls in order to reduce the flow of alcohol into the community, and objected to a bottle store being located next to the children's playgrounds and public toilets in Kaikohe's Library Square. Others called for mental health and addiction facilities, medical facilities and social service providers to be added to the policy as places that liquor outlets should not be in proximity to.

One submitter, who owned a Liquorland store, expressed concern that if there was no cap businesses from Auckland would look to expand into Northland and cut prices to compete, warning that a proliferation of low-cost liquor outlets would increase alcohol-related harm.

Mr Shaw told the hearing that Australian-owned Countdown deliberately placed alcohol near the door, and was profiting at the expense of the community.

"At least New World displays their alcohol in a more appropriate place, and is locally owned. If anyone is going to profit from selling legal drugs, let it be a local.

"There should be at least one store where those who are being negatively affected by alcohol can shop for food," he added.

Mr Shaw also claimed that the council, as a key partner, had not done any meaningful work with the Kaikohe Social Sector Trials (of which he was an advisory group member) and the Public Health alcohol harm reduction co-ordinator to develop a plan to reduce alcohol harm among young people in Kaikohe.

"If the council will not engage with us it makes a mockery of the Kaikohe Youth Action Plan," he said.

"I think the consultation process should be paused, get all the partners together before this policy goes any further, consult with the community more robustly and get a better policy outcome. The reality is that the people this policy affects the most, in terms of harm, don't even realise they can have a say in how it should look."

Dave Hookway, Northland DHB health promotion adviser for alcohol and other drugs, told the hearing in a personal submission that research clearly showed that alcohol-related harm could be reduced by accessibility to and availability of alcohol. He supported capping liquor outlets, and reducing off-licence trading hours and advertising.