Whanganui District Council is required to review its Local Alcohol Policy every six years – and before we start, we’re putting out a survey to understand what people in our community would like to see around the sale and supply of alcohol in our district.
Submissions close on Wednesday, 27 November.
Take the survey
What the survey covers
The anonymous survey takes five to ten minutes and asks about numbers of establishments, trading hours, and purchasing and consuming alcohol in the Whanganui district. You can also tell us your thoughts about alcohol-related harm.
How the survey information will be used
The anonymous answers you provide will help give us an idea of any changes the community would like to see as we review the Local Alcohol Policy. Following input from the survey, we anticipate formally consulting with the community on a revised Local Alcohol Policy in the first half of 2025.
The purpose of the Local Alcohol Policy
Many people enjoy alcohol in moderation but it can have harmful effects like long-term health issues, foetal alcohol syndrome, family violence, and crime and road accidents. The purpose of the Local Alcohol Policy is to reduce alcohol-related harm.
The District Licensing Committee – which is independent from the council – refers to the Local Alcohol Policy when making decisions on the sale and supply of alcohol in our community.
What the Local Alcohol Policy covers
The policy covers the number of businesses selling alcohol – both on-licenses where people drink onsite (like bars and restaurants), off-licences where people purchase alcohol to drink offsite (like bottle stores, supermarkets and breweries), and club licences (like sports clubs or members’ clubs). It also looks at where businesses can be located, taking into account proximity to places like schools and churches, and sets out trading hours.
You can view the current Local Alcohol Policy here.
Take the survey