The Napier City Council has moved quickly to try to keep legalised harmful substances out of the suburbs and limiting where they can be sold.
The move follows last month's passing of the Psychoactive Substances Act, and a draft policy will restrict the location of sales points to the Inner City.
Expecting a "lead-in" of about three months, the council learned this week it has 28 days to help what Mayor Barbara Arnott calls "mopping-up" in the wake of legislation she says goes nowhere near enough to end a major community problem.
"I personally don't think anyone should be selling psychoactive substances at all," she said last night. "The council sees that given these products have been legalised, let's put them in the place of least harm."
The council's response is to adopt local approved products policy, which requires a consultative process. The draft will be adopted by the council on September 18, and the public are expected to have 30 days to comment.
"It has to be a special policy procedure. which is a shame," said Ms Arnott. "We'd like to do it earlier. I have concerns about this legislation which unfortunately had no local government input, even though councils have a discretionary role."
She said the police, District Health Board, primary health organisations and iwi, and the community, "clearly" have concerns and have seen the effects of the substances. The Council would work with them to minimise the harm. "This legislation is not ideal, but the willingness of the different concerned agencies and the response to the community gives some hope," she said. "The council will work with everyone to control the location and density of stores."
The council says the legislation was passed in the hope it would prevent sellers "going underground".
Mrs Arnott said "legislators are scrambling to manage the ramifications of this tight timeframe".
Napier has been a centre of opposition to the sale of legal highs such as Kronic, K2 and others, with suburban shops having been picketed in both Napier and Hastings before the legislation was introduced to Parliament.
Earlier this month Greenmeadows residents and shopkeepers shut down a new store on Gloucester St selling K2. Police at the time said the public pressure was excellent and work on eradicating synthetic cannabis from such stores was "progressing nicely".