Far North alcohol sales hours battle goes to appeal

Kaikohe man Shaun Reilly is taking on the might of New Zealand's supermarket industry over alcohol sales. Photo/File

A last-minute bid to abandon attempts to reduce the hours alcohol can be sold across the Far North has failed.

The council's lawyer told the council last week that the legal battle around its provisional local alcohol policy had so far cost ratepayers more than $140,000 and was going nowhere, so should be scrapped.

The council voted to let the report 'lie on the table,' however, meaning that an appeal against the policy got under way in Kerikeri yesterday, as had been scheduled.

On one side are high-powered lawyers representing the two big supermarket chains, liquor retailers and the hospitality industry, arguing that the council's proposal is unreasonable and cannot be proven to reduce alcohol-related harm, versus 83-year-old Kaikohe pensioner Shaun Reilly, who argues that the council's proposal doesn't do enough to limit alcohol availability or alcohol-related harm.

The council had proposed cutting off-licence and supermarket alcohol sales to 9am-10pm, while Mr Reilly wants them further reduced, to 10am-7pm. If the policy is abandoned the maximum hours will remain at the current 7am-11pm.

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Council lawyer George Swanepoel told last week's meeting that the appeal was likely to cost another $20,000, while, whatever the outcome, the policy would have to go back to the council to be reconsidered. Jane Johnston, who is assisting Mr Reilly, urged councillors (by email) not to "abandon ship with a slight squall ahead," however.

Even if the bid to reduce off-licence hours failed, the policy contained other measures that would help meet the council's responsibilities under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act. The amount spent so far was small compared to the cost of alcohol-related harm in the Far North, such as road crashes and domestic violence, she said.

The appeal, to the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority, which is being heard at the Turner Centre, is due to be completed tomorrow. Northland Medical Officer of Health, Virginia McLaughlin, will give evidence in support of Mr Reilly.