The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Sales on Anzac Day Morning, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day) Amendment Bill has passed first reading, and will now be debated at Select Committee.
The Bill looks to clarify or remove trading and service restrictions across these four public holidays in the calendar year.
The Bill’s general policy statement says: For most of the year, the sale and supply of alcohol is determined by rules influenced by health considerations. However, for 3.5 days per year the sale and supply of alcohol is determined by other reasons.
This bill will repeal sections 47 and 48 of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 to allow licensed businesses already permitted to open on ANZAC Day morning, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day to sell alcohol under their usual licence conditions.
This will prevent the need to apply for a special licence to serve alcohol to veterans after ANZAC Day services, remove any incentive to stockpile alcohol before Easter, and allow hospitality businesses to operate under normal conditions during some of the busiest and most profitable times of the year.
Hospitality New Zealand says it is pleased that Hon Kieran McAnulty’s member’s bill passed its First Reading and believes the restricted trading day rules as they stand are not fit for purpose.
For instance, the Easter Holiday weekend comprises of four days of trade, each with a completely different set of rules as to how hospitality can trade.
Furthermore, some councils have different rules leading to a patchwork of Easter Trading restrictions. Councils are not able to tailor ANZAC or Christmas Day trading for their regions.
“These trading restrictions, particularly across Easter weekend, are a bone of contention for operators and customers alike,” says Hospitality NZ Chief Executive, Steve Armitage.
“The rules are confusing, illogical and require a significant amount of education for operators and patrons, both domestic and international visitors – we would expect to hear the same feedback again in the next few weeks.”
Armitage says this is the third time an Easter Trading bill of some form has been pulled from the member’s bill tin in recent years.
“We hope to see a logical resolution progress that will enable hospitality businesses to decide whether or not to operate over these days,” he says.
“Removing these operational restrictions enables them to maximise trade if they wish to do so, and clarifies a dated and confusing piece of legislation.
“We look forward to participating in the Select Committee process and debating the merits of restricted trading reform.”
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