Source: New Zealand Government
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee today announced proposed changes to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, and says the focus is on restoring fairness and practicality to the system without compromising public safety.
“Most New Zealanders who choose to drink alcohol do so responsibly. Our reforms recognise that responsible drinkers should not be penalised because of the behaviour of a few who do not drink safely,” Mrs McKee says.
“The Government is making targeted reforms to alcohol legislation to remove unnecessary red tape while continuing to uphold protections that minimise alcohol-related harm.
The package aims to improve how the law operates in practice, removing compliance burdens that don’t meaningfully reduce harm, while strengthening areas where regulation can have a real impact.
Key changes include:
- Fairer, clearer licensing processes, including ensuring that objections to licence applications come from the local community, and allowing applicants the right to respond to objections;
- Modernised rules for national events, enabling Ministers to declare major televised events without the need for legislative amendments each time;
- Stronger safeguards, such as improved age verification under the Government’s Digital Identification Trust Framework, and clear responsibilities for alcohol delivery services to prevent sales to intoxicated or underage people.
“These are practical changes that maintain the core objective of the Act – minimising alcohol-related harm – while recognising that regulation must also be proportionate and workable,” Mrs McKee says.
The reforms also reflect growing consumer demand for non-intoxicating alternatives. Licensed premises will be required to offer a wider range of zero- and/or low-alcohol beverages, and outdated definitions in the Act will be updated to reflect modern products and preferences.
“People deserve to have choices, including the choice to enjoy a drink responsibly, or to opt for non-alcoholic alternatives that suit their lifestyle. The current rules around non-alcoholic options are overly restrictive and don’t reflect how people actually drink today,” Mrs McKee says.
Mrs McKee stressed that territorial authorities will retain all current powers to regulate alcohol within their communities through Local Alcohol Policies and District Licensing Committees.
“I trust local councils to make the right decisions for their communities. If people have concerns about alcohol in their area, they should raise them directly with their council, and many already do.”
“These changes strike a careful balance: they make life fairer for responsible drinkers and honest businesses, while continuing to target the areas where alcohol misuse can cause real harm,” Mrs McKee says.
Cabinet decided to
- Allow licence applicants a right of reply to objectors.
- Only allow objections to applications from local communities.
- When renewing a licence under a new LAP, require DLCs to change licence conditions, rather than completely decline the application.
- Allow hairdressers and barbers to supply small amounts of alcohol to customers without a licence.
- Allow premises like wineries, such as breweries and meaderies, and distilleries, to hold both on- and off-licences to support cellar door sales.
- Update regulations so that rapid delivery services will be better supported to reduce alcohol-related harm.
- Enable the responsible Minister to declare a stand-alone exemption to special licensing requirements for national televised events.
- Allow age verification digital identity credentials as approved evidence of age documents for alcohol purchases.
- “Non-alcoholic” drinks are drinks with no alcohol content. E.G., water and soft drinks.
- “Low alcohol” drinks are drinks with negligible alcohol content. E.G., kombucha.
- “Zero-alcohol” drinks are drinks with no alcohol content, but which simulate alcoholic drinks e.g. 0.0% gin.
