Confirmed submission numbers on draft Local Alcohol Policy

Christchurch City Council has confirmed it received a total of 4060 submissions on the draft Local Alcohol Policy (LAP) during the four week consultation period.

Of the submissions, 749 were received electronically and 304 by post directly to the Council. Two other groups collected submissions on behalf of individuals and provided these to Council - with Hospitality New Zealand delivering 1929 and Save Christchurch Nightlife 1078.

All submissions received by the Council are being processed to check they are valid and include correct contact details for the submitters.

Mayor Bob Parker says the number of submissions generated on the draft policy is one of the highest of any public consultation carried out by the Council.

"The number of people who took the time to formally write in about the draft policy shows to us that the community is really interested in what happens with the rules around buying alcohol in our city. This is a local policy that must reflect local views."

All submissions will be reviewed by Councillors prior to the whole of Council committee hearings being held on 29, 30 and 31 July. Submissions will be available to those interested in seeing them at least two full working days prior to the hearings. Copies of the hearing agendas, which include the submissions, will also be available at Council service centres at least two days prior to the hearings.

Eight hundred and seventy five submitters have indicated they want to speak at the hearings, being chaired by Councillor Sue Wells, and will be contacted by Council staff to confirm and arrange their time slots.

The committee will hear and consider submissions, then deliberate and decide on the draft LAP during August or September 2013. The provisional LAP will then be publicly notified in early 2014 and open to appeals. People must have submitted on the draft LAP in order to be eligible to appeal the provisional policy. Final adoption of a LAP is not likely to be until mid to late 2014, depending on the length of the appeal process.

The project that attracted the most feedback in Council history was Share an Idea - although this was pre-consultation - with more than 106,000 ideas coming from the public about how the city should be reveloped following the February 2011 earthquake. These ideas were used to form a draft plan that then went out for consultation.

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