Draft Local Alcohol Policy 2026

Consultation Hearing details

Submissions closed	25/09/2026
Hearing	Friday 13 and Monday 19 November 2026
Contact person	Senior Policy Analyst, Corporate Policy

The Dunedin City Council is proposing to make a new Local Alcohol Policy (LAP) and welcomes your feedback.

The purpose of a LAP is to ensure that the sale, supply and consumption of alcohol occurs in a safe and responsible way and that alcohol-related harm is minimised. The proposed LAP seeks to create an enabling policy that reflects community preferences, recognises the local context of Dunedin, and supports vibrant, safe communities.

Dunedin's current LAP came into effect on 1 February 2019 and overall is considered to be working well; having a positive effect on alcohol consumption behaviours although more can be done. Since the present LAP was made, evidence has emerged regarding the effectiveness of various measures aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm. The draft LAP builds on the existing framework by introducing targeted changes intended to further reduce alcohol-related harm while balancing the needs of residents, visitors, businesses, and communities.

Proposal

The principal proposed changes are:

Licence Location – Sensitive Facilities	Expand the definition of a sensitive facility proximity for new licence applications to include: Marae. Places of worship. Addiction treatment services. Rehabilitation services. The Dunedin Central City Bus Hub.
New Off-Licence Location Freeze	Introduce a restriction on new off-licences within: High Deprivation Areas – areas identified using the New Zealand Deprivation Index.
Off-Licence Trading Hours	Reduce permitted trading hours to: Monday to Sunday: 9.00am – 9.00pm
External Advertising and Promotion of Alcohol	Introduce an off-licence discretionary condition so that the District Licensing Committee should prohibit external advertising and promotion of alcohol unless there is a good reason not to.
Additional Off-Licence Discretionary Conditions	Include discretionary conditions that the District Licensing Committee should consider imposing unless there is a good reason not to. These conditions include: Limits on single-unit alcohol sales. Restrictions on "buy now, pay later" purchasing schemes. A discretionary condition on alcohol sales in glass containers is also proposed
On-Licence Trading Hours	Change the earliest alcohol sales time from: 8.00am to 9.00am Aligning licensing hours with District Plan’s Centre Zones by introducing a maximum closing time of 1am for all licence holders located within those zones, with the CBD closing hours remaining at 3am 1.00am for all licence holders located within those zones. Note: Centre Zones includes Principal Centres, Neighbourhood Centres, Suburban Centre Zones, Rural Centre Zones, and the Warehouse Precinct and Harbourside Zone, but not the CBD.
Additional On-Licence Discretionary Conditions	Introduce discretionary conditions that should generally be imposed unless there is a good reason not to. These include requirements relating to: Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles. Security and safety measures. Incident registers. Staff training records.
Club Management Requirements	Introduce a discretionary condition requiring clubs to have a holder of a manager's certificate present during busy periods unless there is a good reason not to

The details of all proposed changes are in the Statement of Proposal

Following the consultation period, submitters will have the opportunity to present their views at a hearing before Council considers the final policy.

Where to from here?

The public submission period is from 25 August until 5pm, 25 September 2026.
Hearings will be held in 13 and 16 November 2026. During hearings, you can verbally present your position to the Councillors.
The Council considers submissions and decides on any changes to the LAP.
The Council may then adopt the reviewed LAP.