Government must act to allow communities a say on alcohol sales

Manukau Mayor Len Brown says communities need to have a much greater say in the process by which liquor store off licences are granted.

Mr Brown today welcomed the release of the Law Commission report on alcohol, which recommends increasing the ability of local people to influence how and where alcohol is sold in their communities.

He urged the government to act swiftly on the recommendations.

“The availability of alcohol in the community is a major factor in the rise in alcohol-related problems like domestic violence,” says Mr Brown.

"My council has previously proposed, in a number of submissions, to give the community more say over the consenting of off-licences. I think all communities need to be able to have a say as to whether licences should be granted, and what conditions should be attached to the granting of licences.

“Twenty years ago, alcohol sales were more carefully regulated. There were much lower levels of violence and bad behaviour – particularly involving youths and teenagers.

"While the government will not be turning back to the rules of the 1970s and 1980s, they do need to take action on alcohol. The liberalisation of the rules around purchasing alcohol has had benefits, but action is needed to curb the problems caused by the huge growth in liquor off licences.”

Manukau City Council Safe Communities Portfolio Leader Cr Dick Quax says for the first time Waikato University developed a model that links the level of alcohol-related harm to the number of liquor outlets.

“The recent research found that for every new liquor outlet in Manukau, there was an increase in the number of police incidents,” he says.

“The research supported what the community have been telling the council for years, along with their continued call to have a say on what goes in their community.”