Hoping for consistent rule

An alcohol campaigner says communities should be more focused on a new Local Alcohol Policy than the mechanism used to apply it.

Auckland Council is in the process of developing its new draft alcohol policy which will act as a rule book for the district licensing committees (DLCs) when it comes to decisions around locations, density and maximum trading hours of premises.

The policy will be decided following community and stakeholder input.

It is expected the policy will be ready for feedback in January 2014 and implemented later in the year.

Alcohol Healthwatch director Rebecca Williams says communities could actually benefit from a smaller, region-wide pool of people making up the district licensing committees. The real focus should be on ensuring the policies the committees have to work with are sound.

‘‘The last thing people want is inconsistency,’’ she says.

‘‘You don’t want too many people in the pudding. Regional consistency will be a benefit for the community rather than a deficit.’’

Mrs Williams says she is ‘‘reasonably confident’’ that if the committees are well resourced, members well trained and there are opportunities for affected communities to get involved the system should work.

‘‘It is the Local Alcohol Policy that will determine the decision-making of the DLCs and that is the best place for communities to have their say. The thing that will make the most difference is the guidance given by the policy. It needs to be a clear and succinct policy.’’