Booze law slammed by local councils

Mayoral frustration over alcohol policy to be taken to minister
Stuff co.nz 22 November 2015
Alcohol policy has cost one council thousands in legal fees and frustrated another council into abandoning their work altogether.

And one alcohol health watchdog said parts of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 was so badly written it managed to do the opposite of what it was intended – reduce alcohol harm and increase community input.

After two years of trying to get a local alcohol policy (LAP) in place, $40,000 in legal costs and 800 hours of staff time, Hauraki District Council mayor John Tregidga has had enough.

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I’m at the stage where I’m going to the minister and I’ve got the support of Local Government New Zealand . . . that the minister needs to seriously look at the act around adopting a local alcohol policy,” Tregidga said.

He said the whole process was “a nonsense” and he wanted it sorted out.

“If people complained about the Resource Management Act and the processes, man, this is far worse,” he said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/74101216/mayoral-frustration-over-alcohol-policy-to-be-taken-to-minister