The drinking age will remain at 18, after MPs last night voted to maintain the status quo, but campaigners have backed plans for a review of underage drinking.

Labour Hamilton West MP Martin Gallagher's private member's bill to raise the drinking age to 20 was defeated 72 to 49, partly because of the last-minute Government announcement.

The review was announced at midday by Justice Minister Mark Burton and Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor, both of whom supported the drinking age remaining at 18. It surprised many MPs and blindsided Mr Gallagher.

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The Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC) said today it was disappointed at the vote, but welcomed the review.

Chief executive Mike MacAvoy said: "What the Government has announced, which is a review of access of minors and a first principle review of the Sale of Liquor Act, gives us a great deal broader and better opportunity to really address the issue of alcohol abuse in our society and not just amongst the young."

Mr Gallagher conceded immediately after the vote that it was looking likely to be lost even before the review was announced.

"I do remain disappointed that the Parliament didn't at least vote to send it to the committee stages because ultimately the buck does stop with the Parliament ... How many votes that announcement would have swayed, I don't know," he said.

"I think the positive is that at least we're not doing nothing."

He said the review had to have a tight timeframe and strong terms of reference as the problem of alcohol abuse by young people remained, irrespective of the vote.

"I personally think we've dropped the ball."

Real solutions

Green Party MP Metiria Turei said Parliament could now focus on real solutions for the country's drinking problems.

"The legal purchasing age has never been the real issue. It is unrestricted advertising, wide access to alcohol, unrestricted supply of alcohol to very young people and the widely accepted culture of binge drinking that need to be addressed," she said.

Ms Turei said she hoped MPs would now support her member's bill that would ban all alcohol advertising on television or radio. The Liquor Advertising (Television and Radio) Bill was recently drawn from Parliament's ballot.

She said the Government's review was a positive move.