Hamilton City Council is asking the community for feedback on a proposal to address a financial imbalance in alcohol licensing costs.

Currently, the fees set by legislation have not increased in more than 11 years and do not cover the full costs of licensing activities. As a result, ratepayers have been subsidising these costs by up to 29% and this is expected to grow year on year. Council is proposing to introduce an Alcohol Fees Bylaw that would reduce the ratepayer subsidy to 5%.

Consultation on the Draft Alcohol Fees Bylaw 2025 is open from 21 January – 25 February 2025 and is asking for feedback about reducing the ratepayer ‘top up’ needed to cover the costs of alcohol licensing.

The proposed Bylaw is the only way Council can change alcohol licensing fees and seeks to increase the fees by 34% in 2025/26, followed by 20% in 2026/27, and 3% annually thereafter.

Along with bringing the charges in line with the actual costs and inflation, the Draft Bylaw includes additional resource required from 2026/27 to manage demand.

Cory Lang, Council’s Regulatory Services Manager, said ratepayers shouldn’t have to top up the costs of alcohol licensing as much as they are now.

"Introducing the Bylaw would ensure those who use the alcohol licensing services contribute an appropriate share of the costs of licensing, education, monitoring, and enforcement," said Lang.

“The Council's proposal is about financial sustainability, it would move us much closer to a user-pays system. With costs expected to rise due to inflation and increased licensing activities, this Bylaw is a necessary measure to ensure that the Council can continue to provide essential services without as much reliance on the ratepayer to top up the costs.”

Hamiltonians and impacted businesses are encouraged to add their feedback to the mix.

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