Retail NZ has pledged to monitor the use of new move-on orders closely as the new police powers come into force, says CEO Carolyn Young.

“Retailers have long been frustrated by threatening, abusive and disorderly behaviour outside their stores, which can affect the safety and wellbeing of staff, customers and local communities,” Young said.

She acknowledged that all Kiwis want safe shopping environments. While Retail NZ supports giving police the tools and resources needed to respond to disruptive, disorderly or threatening behaviour, the association has raised concerns about move-on orders since they were first proposed.

“It could just result in relocating the problem behaviour from one retailer to another, rather than resolving the issue.”

Still, Young said Retail NZ welcomed changes made to the legislation before its passage, including limiting its application to people aged 18 and over, and requiring begging to be deemed unreasonable before enforcement action can be taken.

“Those changes have improved the legislation, and we have been working closely with police and social agencies to ensure there’s suitable intervention for problem behaviour outside our retail spaces, including engaging wraparound services where appropriate.

“We know there are genuine challenges facing many retailers, particularly in busy urban centres”. However, Young asserted, lasting improvements will not just stem from moving it from one shopping area to the next, but from addressing the causes of antisocial and unsafe behaviour.

Moving forward, the association will continue working closely with retailers, police and support services to assess whether move-on orders are effectively reducing harmful behaviour, rather than simply relocating it.