Retail New Zealand general manager of public affairs, Greg Harford, acting as the Northland spokesman, said the organisation was in the process of submitting on the Whangarei District Council’s draft local alcohol policy.

The policy proposes no new bottle stores for up to six years, something Harford calls “excessive”.

“The big issue for retailers is that we’re only here to be able to provide services to customers,” he says. “I think we’ve got to look at the other consequences of the policies.”

Northland Medical Officer of Health, Clair Mills, has called for the policy to restrict when supermarkets and general stores can sell alcohol further.

The policy currently put the hours of sale at 0700 to 2200, but  Mills and others have advocated for 0900 to 2100 in line with Auckland Council.
Harford says Whangarei should keep to the national default hours of 0700 to 2300. The legislation says hours may be changed by councils if there is proof of a local issue.

“At this stage, we don’t think there is clear evidence of a local issue [in Whangarei],” says Harford.

“If you restricted hours to the point Mills wants, it would negatively impact the economy,” Harford reiterates. “People who drink responsibly would change their shopping habits to only shop when alcohol could be sold. As a result, supermarkets might change their opening hours or employ less people early in the morning or late at night.

“I think there’s certainly a number of people in the community that don’t use alcohol appropriately.

“However, a change of hours will not lessen problem drinking.

“They are just going to buy it at different times. There’s a real question about how alcohol-related harm is going to be measured.”