Auckland is poised to implement a Local Alcohol Policy (LAP) that will ban the sale of alcohol in supermarkets and bottle stores after 9pm and impose a two-year freeze on new liquor stores in high-risk areas.
The policy, expected to take effect by December, aims to reduce alcohol-related harm in communities following a tragic 2008 shooting at a South Auckland liquor store. After nearly eight years of legal battles with major supermarket chains, the policy received approval from the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority and is anticipated to be officially adopted by the mayor and council by the end of August.
The new rules will bring significant changes to alcohol sales in Auckland, including earlier closing times for bars and restaurants and stricter regulations on new off-licence liquor stores in areas with high alcohol-related crime.
The policy is a response to long-standing community concerns about the proliferation of liquor stores and the associated social harms.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown and Councillor Josephine Bartley have voiced strong support for the LAP, highlighting its importance in protecting communities from the negative impacts of alcohol.
Image credit: Adam Wilson
Oh OK. So some criminal asshole commits a gun related crime at a liquor outlet and nanny f***ing state responds by penalising the liquor industry and their customers.
Sounds like the totalitarians are winning.