Instead, it would be reconsidered further down the line if more evidence in its favour became available.
Twelve councillors voted for the motion, with only councillor Gary Mallett dissenting.
O'Leary said the most important element to her in the PLAP was the location clause.
"There's a thing in the law called existing use rights, and that would mean that, let's say, we create a policy that says there'll be no liquor stores in Dinsdale. From that day forward, there can be no new liquor stores in Dinsdale, but we can't go in there and close the doors of those that already exist," said O'Leary.
She added if council was able to go in and close stores within certain locales, there would be 40 less liquor stores in Hamilton.
However, Te Whanau Roopu O Aotearoa-Komiti Maori and supermarket chains Progressive Enterprises and Foodstuffs North Island Ltd all submitted formal appeals to the PLAP, to try and negotiate themselves out of the location clause.
"That's what gives me grief in the negotiations and why I want to stop them in their tracks," said O'Leary.
Macpherson also expressed his concern about supermarkets' position in negotiations.
"A couple of supermarket organisations, a couple of very large companies with the means, have been able to insert themselves, legally, into an extra part in the process, and try and twist our arm, in my opinion," he said.
"They are using their power and influence around the place to do that, not illegally, but I'm not happy with the process which enables and encourages that."
Macpherson did not want to see the council having to go to court against the supermarkets in defence of the provisional policy.
"At the end of the day, this is about reducing harm caused by alcohol," said O'Leary.
"There is evidence - a little bit of a lack of local evidence - but some New Zealand evidence and certainly international evidence that says the proliferation of off-licence liquor stores in high-debt areas is significant, and that is where the harm is, and that's caused by location of those stores and the hours that they're open.
"So for me those things in the policy have always been our strongest tool in our toolbox to look after our community and our people."