Alcohol sales and other restrictions proposed

New policy: Cleaning up the effects of alcohol.

By Healthy Families Whanganui Rangitikei Ruapehu

Healthy Families Whanganui Rangitikei Ruapehu is an active member of the Safer Whanganui alcohol and other drugs reference group, a collaboration of services and organisations working in the alcohol space from a prevention perspective.

The reference group has worked with Whanganui District Council to develop the Draft Local Alcohol Policy that was recently put out for public consultation and subsequently adopted as provisional on July 4.

The provisional policy is now subject to appeal up until August 5.

Prior to the development of the draft policy, the reference group members, alongside Research First, developed a survey to gain community views on alcohol.

The group actively informed the community of the consultation process and encouraged community submissions.

In total, 86 submissions were received with 17 oral submissions being heard by the statutory management committee.

The preventative measures in the policy show great leadership from Whanganui District Council in prioritising the health and wellbeing of our community.

Key provisions in the policy include:

No new off-licences (with the exception of supermarkets and grocery stores) will be granted if they are determined to be within 100 metres of the legal site boundary to a sensitive site.

Sensitive sites now include alcohol treatment centres and children's playgrounds as well as early childhood centres, primary and secondary schools, marae and places of worship.

Off-licences in the Whanganui district will be limited to 16, excluding supermarkets and grocery stores.

A one-way door restriction will apply to on-licences where licensed hours exceed midnight. This means anyone exiting a tavern, bar, pub or nightclub is not to be admitted or readmitted one hour before the establishment closes.

Maximum hours for clubs are 8am to midnight.

Maximum licensed hours for off-licences, grocery stores, and supermarkets are 7am to 9.30pm.

If you are interested in ways to make healthy change in your life, check out the Healthy Families Whanganui Rangitikei Ruapehu website and join the movement to create a culture where the healthy choice is the easy choice where we live, learn, work and play