Liquor Licensing

The Health Protection Unit provides a range of health protection and advisory services relating to the sale and supply of liquor. These services are components of a comprehensive and integrated liquor programme and include:

Statutory medical officer of health role under the Sale of Liquor Act

The Health Protection Unit reports on new On and Club Licence applications and On and Club Licence renewal applications. This involves visiting the premises in all cases.

Occasionally this means that the Licence applications will be opposed and the matter is referred to the Liquor Licensing Authority for a hearing.

Surveillance and monitoring

The Health Protection Unit is actively involved in the monitoring of alcohol related problems and issues such as drink driving, alcohol promotions, etc. This includes the host responsibility auditing of liquor licensed premises.

Complaints

The Health Protection Unit is a point of contact for information or complaints about liquor licensed premises. This information will be investigated or referred on to other agencies as appropriate.

Last Drink Survey

The Health Protection Unit is involved in the planning and implementation of the Last Drink Survey. Under the Last Drink Survey information is collected on everybody caught drink driving such as age, gender and where (including which premises) he or she had their last drink. The name of the drink driver is not included in the survey.

This information is used by the police and is used in considering licence applications but is also available to licensees or managers of licensed premises on request.

Working alongside district licensing agencies (local authorities), police and licensees

The Health Protection Unit strongly advocates a partnership approach to addressing alcohol related problems. This includes working closely with local authorities and the police through liquor licensing liaison groups and supporting local authorities in the development of liquor policies.

It also includes working closely with licensees and managers of liquor licensed premises, supporting premises in making improvements and overcoming problems.

Host responsibility training, advice and information

The Health Protection Unit works in partnership with New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) accredited providers of managers certificate training providing the host responsibility component of the courses.

The Health Protection Unit also provides host responsibility training seminars for staff of licensed premises and will support premises in developing host responsibility policies and practices.

Presentations/advice

The Health Protection Unit is involved in the preparation of policy advice with regard to alcohol and is a participant in many forums on alcohol and related fields.

More information

For more information on our liquor licensing programme please call the Health Protection Unit on (07) 838 2569.

back to top