Delay in Wellington alcohol rule changes a relief to bar owners

Thursday, 13 March 2025

Saint Diablo owner Greig Wilson said it was a relief the council was not pushing through with a Local Alcohol Policy.

The Wellington City Council has voted to push back work on developing a Local Alcohol Policy (LAP) until the next triennium.

The work was to be done as part of the city safety plan, but low engagement from businesses and the prospect of bringing in changes during uncertain economic conditions made many councillors think twice.

LAPs look to reduce alcohol harm by restricting the location, number and trading hours for businesses selling alcohol and can be applied to both on-licence and off-licence premises. Wellington was considering whether to follow Auckland’s lead.

Agencies recently allowed Greig Wilson to extend his opening hours by two hours.

For Saint Diablo owner Greig Wilson, who had just won a three-year battle to extend his trading hours from 2am to 4am, it was a relief.

Wilson wrote to the council saying he feared if the council pushed through an LAP to restrict trading hours, future investors would be driven away from the city.

“Wellington's in a situation where it desperately needs new investment into empty tenancies, if it's a more restrictive environment, the investment just won't occur.”

With the Saint Diablo fit-out costing more than $350,000, Wilson said he needed those extra trading hours to make a return on his business.

“We're in the bar business, we need to be open when people want to go and drink alcohol.”

Research from council staff suggested a local alcohol policy could create clearer guidelines for liquor license applications. Council staff said licensees reported it was not clear or consistent what would influence an application to be objected to or declined.

In 2023 and 2024, 37 oppositions or objections were lodged against licence applications.

Duncan Gillespie, co-owner of The Tasting Room, said change would be tough on businesses.

Wilson believed agencies couldn’t be trusted. “They don't have one iota of care about the future vibrancy of the city.”

Tasting Room co-owner Duncan Gillespie was of two minds.

“Anything that restricts our trading hours would restrict our business, which would always be a slightly negative thing for us, but anything that made applying for a liquor licence easier would be a good thing.”

Gillespie said the last renewal of his liquor licence was longer than usual and it felt like agencies were going through the application with a “fine tooth comb”.

But with Covid-19, a recession and upcoming roadworks on the Golden Mile, Gillespie said any more changes would be tough.

Valhalla bar owner Ben Mulchin said if a business couldn’t get their liquor licence using the current format, they were probably doing something wrong.

“You'd hope the existing national laws are sufficient to provide a safe and responsible environment for alcohol to be served.”

Councillor Teri O’Neill said the decision came down to priorities.

Councillor Ben McNulty, who moved the amendment to push out the LAP, said almost of the councillors were of the view that they did not want to add more uncertainty to the current economic conditions in the hospitality sector.

McNulty said the information presented to councillors did not exclude on-licence premises, which was a different direction than some had in mind.

“There's a logic to [clearer liquor licensing], but nonetheless the direction staff investigated was essentially how do we make licensing more restrictive.”

Social, cultural and economic committee chair Teri O’Neill said the decision came down to priorities, and reducing alcohol-related harm was still a major focus of the city safety plan.

Discussions with live music venues and restaurant owners suggested an LAP was popular, as it meant the District Licensing process would be clearer, O’Neill said. But with Wilson’s letter the only formal letter in opposition, they felt there was not enough engagement to warrant a decision.

“Instead of shoving a local alcohol policy through and getting everyone quite stressed about it, the next part of the plan is all about building those relationships.”

As of November last year, there were 704 alcohol licences in Wellington city ‒ 542 of those were on-licences, with 262 restaurants, and 157 bars or pubs; 110 were off-licences, with 30 bottle stores, 23 grocery stores and 20 supermarkets. Meanwhile there were 52 club licences including sports clubs or RSAs.