This page contains information about liquor licensing and an outline of Council's role as District Licensing Agency.
Updated:
11/12/2019 12:44 p.m.
Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012
If alcohol is to be sold, supplied, or consumed, it must be undertaken safely and responsibly to minimise the harm caused by excessive or inappropriate consumption of alcohol.
If you want to sell alcohol as a business or club, or want to sell, supply or consume at a special event, you must hold the appropriate licence.
Applying for a Liquor Licence
Applying for a Special Licence
Council's role – The District Licensing Committee
Under the Act, Council must have a District Licensing Committee. The committee is comprised of two list members (selected from the community), with Commissioner, Ann Court as chairperson.
The committee determines all applications, including contested applications, for new or renewed licences, managers’ certificates, temporary authorities and special licences within the district.
Council processes all applications, and our licensing inspectors, together with the Police, Medical Officer of Health and Fire Service, report to the committee on each application.
The committee makes decisions independent of Council and has experience in liquor licensing matters.
Once the committee grants an application, Council then issues the licence.
Our licensing inspectors and partner enforcement agencies, undertake inspections of licensed premises to ensure that the sale and supply of alcohol is properly conducted.
Whangarei District Licensing Committee Annual Report - 12 months ending 30 June 2016 [1.3mb]
Hearing Agendas and Decisions
You can view the District Licensing Hearing agendas and decisions by following the links below.
District Licensing Decisions
District Licensing Hearings
Liquor Licensing Policy
We work along side the Police, Fire Service and Northland Health on strategies to minimise the harm caused by alcohol abuse.
Our Liquor Licensing Policy, developed and adopted through a special consultative process, allows all people in the community to have a say about how alcohol is sold in the district.
The policy provides for important community issues, in particular maximum licensing hours and was adopted in August 2010.
We have developed a Provisional Local Alcohol Policy, under the Act, which will eventually replace the existing liquor licensing policy. The PLAP has been appealed and is currently before the Authority (ARLA) for determination. It cannot be relied upon at this stage.
Until the LAP is adopted, the existing policy will continue to provide guidance to the community and to the Licensing Inspectors.
For further information about our existing Liquor Licensing Policy and to view the full version of it, follow the link below.
Liquor Licensing Policy
Provisional Local Alcohol Policy
Liquor bans
To ensure public places such as our beaches and parks are safe and welcoming, there are areas in the district where liquor bans are in place.
Drinking in a public place where a liquor ban is in force, may result in you getting a $250.00 fine or having alcohol confiscated.
Our Alcohol Control Bylaw contains a schedule of these areas and accompanying maps.
To view details, follow the link below.
Alcohol Control Bylaw