Understanding Local Alcohol Policies (LAPs)

What is an LAP?

A Local Alcohol Policy, or LAP, is a policy developed by a local council that sets out local rules for the sale and supply of alcohol within their council area (or district).

While the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act provides the national framework for alcohol regulation, many decisions are made at a local level.

Every community is different. The challenges faced by urban centres like Auckland or Wellington may be different to those experienced by small towns and rural communities. An LAP provides a way for councils to respond to local circumstances and develop a more localised approach to alcohol licensing decisions.

An LAP can include rules around several aspects of alcohol licensing, including where alcohol outlets can be located, how many outlets can operate in an area, maximum trading hours, and other local provisions.

The main areas an LAP can address are location, density, trading hours, and special provisions.

This resource looks at each of these key areas – what they mean, what an LAP can do, and how different councils across Aotearoa have approached them.

Location

Location rules determine where alcohol outlets can operate, including their proximity to particular places, facilities, or areas.

What does the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act cover?

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 allows an LAP to include policies about the location of licensed premises. This can include:

The location of licensed premises in particular areas;
The proximity of licensed premises to particular premises, like schools; and
The proximity of licensed premises to particular types of facilities

What can be included in an LAP?

Set a minimum distance between new alcohol outlets and particular premises or facilities.
Identify areas where stronger restrictions may be appropriate, including limits on the types of alcohol outlets that can operate.
Provide additional protection for community spaces, like marae, kura, churches, parks, or health services.

There is no single distance that councils must use. Existing LAPs take different approaches to location, with minimum distances ranging from 40 metres to 500 metres. This allows councils to consider which places or areas are important to protect and what distance is appropriate for the community.

Importantly, LAPs can identify areas that may benefit from additional restrictions due to higher levels of deprivation or alcohol-related harm.

Examples across Aotearoa

Councils across New Zealand have used location provisions in different ways. Some focus on protecting particular places, while others identify specific communities or areas where new outlets should be more restricted.

Minimum distances from premises

The Wairarapa LAP sets a 100-metre minimum distance between new off-licences and sensitive sites, including childcare facilities, healthcare facilities, marae, and places of worship.
The Southland LAP requires evidence of consultation with sensitive premises within 50 metres of some proposed licences.

Protection for particular places and facilities

The Waipā LAP includes location restrictions around sensitive and community facilities, including marae and rehabilitation treatment centres, e.g. No new on-licence can be issued for premises that directly border an existing sensitive facility.
The Gisborne LAP identifies educational institutions, spiritual facilities, marae, and recreational facilities as sensitive sites when considering the location of new alcohol outlets. E.g. New licences are generally cannot be established within 150 metres of sensitive sites.

Area-based restrictions

The Waikato LAP generally discourages new standalone bottle stores in named areas (Tuakau, Te Kauwhata, Huntly, Ngāruawāhia, and Raglan), and other areas with a NZ Deprivation Index score of 7 or higher.
The Christchurch LAP freezes new off-licences in designated high-deprivation areas with NZ Deprivation Index scores of 8 or higher.
The Rotorua Lakes LAP introduced a 36-month freeze on new off-licences across the district. After this period, the presumption is that new off-licences will be refused, unless the applicant can demonstrate grounds for approval.

Your Local Alcohol Policy

When looking at location provisions in a draft LAP, here are some questions to consider:

Where are alcohol outlets currently located?
Are there particular places or facilities that should have greater protection from new alcohol outlets?
Are there areas where alcohol outlets are highly concentrated?
Does the LAP identify communities or areas where new outlets should be restricted?
Does the LAP use local evidence to identify areas that may need additional protection?
Are the distances or boundaries used in the LAP appropriate for the community?

Density

Density provisions look at how many outlets are operating in an area and how concentrated they are. An LAP can be used to limit or manage the number of new licences in areas where there is already a high concentration of outlets.

What does the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act cover?

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act does not set a compulsory national limit on the number of alcohol outlets that can operate in an area.

Instead, the Act allows councils to set a policy about density within their LAPs – including whether additional or particular licences should be issued in a specified area.

What can be included in an LAP?

There are several ways LAPs can manage outlet density:

Freeze new licences: Councils can stop particular alcohol licences from being issued in a specified area for a set period of time.
Set a numeric cap: Set a maximum number of alcohol outlets that can operate in a particular area.
Place-based restrictions in priority areas: Identify areas where new alcohol outlets are subject to stronger restrictions because of existing outlet density, deprivation, or alcohol-related harm.
Use rebuttable presumption: This means that a new licence will generally be refused when an area has reached a specified density threshold, unless the Applicant provides evidence that supports an exception.

Examples across Aotearoa

Councils across Aotearoa use different approaches to manage the density of alcohol outlets.

Freezes of new outlets

The Auckland LAP issued a two-year freeze on new off-licences, this expired in September 2026.
The Marlborough LAP includes a district-wide freeze on new off-licences.
The Western Bay of Plenty has a freeze on new off-licences across the Te Puke-Maketu Ward.

Numeric caps

The Wairoa LAP sets a maximum of 10 off-licences across the district, with a limit of six within the urban area.
The Whanganui LAP sets a maximum of 10 bottle stores within the district.

Place-based restrictions

The Christchurch LAP restricts the number of new off-licences that can operate in high deprivation areas.
The Hastings LAP has restrictions applying to Flaxmere and Camberley.
The Waikato LAP has restrictions applying to Tuakau, Te Kauwhata, Huntly, Ngāruawāhia, and Raglan.

Rebuttable presumption

The Porirua LAP uses rebuttable presumption against off-licences in Priority Areas, meaning licence applications will generally be refused. Priority Areas are identified using factors including deprivation, crime and victimisation, and the number of existing alcohol outlets.

Your Local Alcohol Policy

When looking at density provisions in a draft LAP, here are some questions to consider:

Where do you notice a high concentration of alcohol outlets in your community?
Which areas do you think should have fewer alcohol outlets?
Are there areas where you think there are already enough alcohol outlets?
Should different areas of your community have different limits on the number of alcohol outlets?
What do you think is a reasonable number of alcohol outlets to allow in your area?
Are there any areas where you think new alcohol outlets should not be allowed at all?

Trading Hours

Trading hours refers to when licensed alcohol premises can sell alcohol.

An LAP can set shorter local trading hours than the national default where councils consider it appropriate for their communities. Restrictions on trading hours can reduce alcohol availability in high-risk areas, or at high-risk times of day.

What the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act covers

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act sets national maximum trading hours for licensed premises, which provide the default framework for when alcohol can be sold.

Maximum trading hours of on-licences: Between 8am and 4am the next day.
Maximum trading hours of off-licences: Between 7am and 11pm.

The Act allows for an LAP to set shorter maximum trading hours for licensed premises in all or part of a district. Different hours can be set for different types of licences or for different areas.

The Act also allows an LAP to include a one-way door restriction, which limits when people can enter licensed premises while allowing people already inside to remain.

What can be included in an LAP?

Rules around Trading hours in LAPs can include:

Earlier closing times for off-licences, like bottle stores and supermarkets.
Shorter trading hours for on-licences, like bars and clubs.
Different trading hours for different areas or types of licensed premises.
Different hours for different days, such as shorter hours on weekdays or weekends.
Introduce a one-way door restriction, where new customers cannot enter after a set time, but people already inside can remain.
Apply one-way door restrictions only during higher-risk periods, such as weekend nights.

Examples across Aotearoa

Councils across Aotearoa use different approaches to manage when alcohol can be sold.

Earlier closing times

The Whanganui LAP requires off-licences are required to close by 9pm and do not allow alcohol to be sold before 7am.
In Wairoa, the earliest opening time for off-licences is 10am.
In Gore, the latest closing time for off-licences is 11pm.

Reduced hours in particular areas

In Auckland, the maximum trading hours for on-licences in the Auckland region are 8 am to 3 am the following day. However, maximum hours within the City Centre are reduced to 8 am – 4am the following day Monday to Sunday.
In Rotorua, the maximum trading hours for on-licences are 8 am – 3 am within the Inner City, and 8 am – 1 am outside the Inner City.

One-way door restrictions

Whanganui has a one-way door restriction from midnight, applying to both existing and new licences.

Your Local Alcohol Policy

When looking at trading hour provisions in a draft LAP, communities can consider:

What times of day do you think alcohol availability is most likely to contribute to harm in your community?
Do you think alcohol outlets should close earlier? If so, what time would be reasonable?
Should different types of alcohol outlets have different trading hours? (E.g. different hours for bottle stores compared to supermarkets)
Should trading hours be different on weekdays, weekends, or Holidays?
Are there particular areas where you think shorter trading hours are needed?
What do you think about one-way door restrictions? When do you think they could be useful?

Special Provisions

Beyond location, density and trading hours, an LAP can include more targeted provisions that respond to particular patterns of alcohol availability, purchasing, or harm within a community.

These special provisions can be used to address specific local concerns that may not be fully covered by restrictions on where alcohol can be sold, how many outlets can operate, or when alcohol can be sold.

What the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act covers

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act allows an LAP to include policies on discretionary conditions that may be placed on alcohol licences.

The Act does not prescribe a set list of “special provisions”. Councils have the ability to develop policies within the scope of the Act that they feel respond best to the circumstances of their communities.

What can be included in an LAP?

Depending on the local circumstances and evidence, an LAP could include special provisions such as:

Restrictions on payment methods (e.g. Buy Now Pay Later)
Minimum prices for certain products
Restrictions on breaking multipacks into single cans or bottles
Additional restrictions on particular types of alcohol products, such as small, high-strength single cans
Policies around discretionary licence conditions, which can include CCTV, staff training, incident registers, and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). Discretionary conditions are not required for all licensed premises but can be included at the discretion of the District Licensing Committee.

Examples across Aotearoa

Councils across Aotearoa have used ‘special provisions’ to respond to local concerns.

Payment methods and purchasing

The Whanganui LAP prohibits the use of Buy Now Pay Later services for alcohol across the district.
The Porirua LAP prohibits the use of Buy Now Pay Later at bottle stores.

Product and pricing restrictions

The Whanganui LAP requires a minimum price of $6 per single unit and prevents multipacks from being broken down and sold as individual cans.
The Porirua LAP bans the sale of small, high-strength single cans.

Licence conditions and host responsibility

The joint Eastern Bay of Plenty LAP requires every licensed premises to have a written host responsibility policy. (Kawerau, Ōpōtiki, and Whakatāne Councils have adopted the Eastern Bay of Plenty LAP)

Monitoring and Review

The Porirua LAP requires reporting every three years to assess whether its special provisions are working.

Your Local Alcohol Policy

When looking at special provisions in a draft LAP, some questions to consider are:

Are there particular products or purchasing practices that you think contribute to alcohol-related harm in your community?
Are there ways alcohol is sold or promoted that you think should be restricted?
Do you think there should be restrictions on payment methods, like Buy Now Pay Later?
Are there particular types of alcohol products that you think should be restricted, like small, high-strength single cans?
Are there additional licence conditions that could help support community safety?
What should be required of licensed premises to address and prevent alcohol-related harm?
What information should be collected to monitor whether alcohol policies are working?

LAPs provide councils with the opportunity to respond to local circumstances in their communities and shape how alcohol is sold and supplied in their district.

Location, density, trading hours, and special provisions all work together to influence alcohol availability and reduce alcohol-related harm.

When giving feedback on a draft LAP, communities should consider:

Location – Where should alcohol outlets operate?
Density – How many alcohol outlets should operate in an area?
Trading hours – When should alcohol be sold?
Special provisions – What additional conditions should apply to how alcohol is sold and supplied in the area?

Having your Say

If your council is developing or asking for feedback on a draft LAP, consider what protections you’d like to see in your community around alcohol availability.

A strong LAP should reflect the needs and priorities of the communities it serves, drawing on local knowledge and experience to help councils understand where alcohol availability is contributing to harm, and what changes could make a difference.

Your experience and knowledge of your community matter. You don’t need to be an expert to contribute to the conversation. Check the status of your LAP here.