Alcohol Licensing

Alcohol licensing deadlines - 2024-2025 holiday period

If you are planning to sell alcohol at an event or function, or outside of your licence conditions over the 2024-2025 Christmas / New Year period, you must have a special licence from Whanganui District Council. The application must be received 20 working days before the event.

If you are planning an event to be held over the 2024-2025 Christmas / New Year period, your application should have reached us no later than Thursday, 21 November 2024 to be processed and granted before Friday, 20 December 2024.

This also means that special licence applications for Waitangi Day, Thursday 6 February 2025, must be received no later than Thursday, 12 December 2024.

Where any On/Off, Club Licence or any Manager’s Certificate expires during the period from 20 December 2024 to 15 January 2025, you will need to have these receipted for processing before Thursday, 21 November 2024.

If you would like signage, ie no minors or intoxicated persons, these can be provided by the council's Environmental Health team. Please contact the team by email. Signs can also be provided by Te Whatu Ora.

Please note: The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 section 5 states that working days do not include weekends, public holidays or the period from 20 December 2024 to 15 January 2025 inclusive.

The sale and supply of alcohol to any member of the public requires a licence under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

The object of this Act is to ensure that the sale, supply and consumption of alcohol is undertaken safely and responsibly and the harm caused by the excessive or inappropriate consumption of alcohol is minimised.

Whanganui District Council, like all other local authorities, oversees the administration of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 within its district.

If you have any questions about alcohol licensing, please contact us at (06) 349 0001.

Changes to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Community Participation) Amendment Act 2023 (the Amendment Act) makes it easier for communities to have a say in alcohol regulation in their area, by making targeted changes to the alcohol licensing process in the Act. Read more about the changes here 

About alcohol licensing

Detailed information about the different types of alcohol licences as well as when and how you need to apply for them

Apply for a Manager’s Certificate

Every holder of an on-licence, off-licence or a club licence (and in some circumstances, a special licence) must appoint a certified manager

Apply for a Special Licence

A special licence allows you to sell or supply alcohol to anyone attending an event, private function, street party, sporting event or show

Apply for Temporary Authority

Allows a new owner of the business which has an existing licence to continue the sale and supply of alcohol with the same hours and conditions, for a three-month period while applying for their own licence

Local Alcohol Policy

Our policy to reduce alcohol-related harm in the Whanganui District

Licensing Hearings

Search and view scheduled hearings of the Whanganui District Licensing Committee

Licensing Decisions

Search and view decisions made Whanganui District Licensing Committee in response to licence applications

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