Alcohol applicants pushing limits
29 February 2016
Organisations seeking special alcohol licences are being urged to get their applications in on time or risk missing out.
By law applications for special licences must be received 20 working days before the event. This allows council staff and police to process the application before passing it to the independent District Licensing Committee to make a decision.
District Licensing Committee secretary Karl Tutty said some applicants were simply not allowing enough time or were not providing the right information. Following feedback from police and the Medical Officer of Health, council staff have been asked to tighten up the rules.
"In the past, we've tried to be lenient but unless there is a very good reason, we simply can't be in the future," Tutty said.
"By law there can be some discretion based on unforeseen circumstances. But if you need a special licence for an event, you're going to have to get your application in on time - it's as simple as that."
In the last financial year, council staff processed 162 special licence applications. This year some event organisers have been forced to cancel events because special licence applications could not be considered in time.
Media enquiries, contact Jeanette Tyrrell (on behalf of Council) 027 5077 599