Alcohol policy a step closer

Tighter controls on alcohol in Christchurch are a step closer after elected members today voted to publicly notify the city's provisional Local Alcohol Policy.

"It may seem to some that this has taken a long time to get to this point but we wanted to be sure we were doing the right thing," says Mayor Lianne Dalziel.

"Imposing limits on the sale and supply of alcohol is a balancing act between minimising the effects of alcohol abuse and supporting the entertainment industry in our city.

"While having a local alcohol policy will not single-handedly solve all alcohol problems, it is one of the tools at our disposal," the Mayor says. "And, there is widespread public support for Christchurch to have its own Local Alcohol Policy.

"It is clearly something the community has an interest in, with more than 4000 submissions on the draft policy. Now that we have seen how the appeals process has worked for other authorities, we can push on to the next stage."

The provisional Local Alcohol Policy will be publicly notified through newspaper advertisements and on the Council's website. People who have made submissions are able to appeal to the national Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority. Once those appeals are resolved, the Council can adopt its local alcohol policy.

More information about the development of Christchurch City Council's provisional local alcohol policy is available on the website,www.ccc.govt.nz/localalcoholpolicy

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