In August and September the community had their say and after considering all the feedback and deliberations the Council adopted the new Local Alcohol Policy, Alcohol Control Bylaw and Alcohol Fees Bylaw in November.

• the new Waipā District Council Alcohol Control Bylaw will come into effect from Monday, December 16
• the new Waipā District Council Local Alcohol Policy will come into effect from Monday, March 10, 2025
• the new Waipā District Council Alcohol Fees Bylaw will come into effect from Tuesday, July 1, 2025

changes as of December 16, 2024:

Where alcohol can be taken into and consumed in public places - the alcohol ban areas.

An Alcohol Control Bylaw creates permanent and temporary alcohol ban areas. Alcohol ban areas outline where it is prohibited to consume, bring into, or possess alcohol in public places or vehicles in those public places.

24-hour alcohol ban areas:

• all skateparks in the district
• extension of the alcohol ban area for Cambridge which will include Carter’s Flat.
• Kihikihi alcohol ban area extension which will include the end of Havelock Street, and the area near the northern end of the block between Lyon Street and Leslie Street (where the cicada statue is).

The maps below show the 24-hour permanent alcohol ban areas, (these do not show skateparks).

Night-time 8pm to 8am alcohol ban areas:

• All playgrounds
• All cemeteries

Summer time 9pm to 8am and Winter time 8pm to 8am alcohol ban areas:

• Arapuni Landing
• Bulmers Landing

The bylaw does not prohibit people drinking or keeping alcohol in self-contained vehicles in the alcohol-ban areas.

changes as of March 10, 2025:

User-friendly updates to the policy

We have done this by adding definitions, simplifying and clarifying wording and removing clauses that are already covered by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

“Higher risk” on-licence trading hours

• Reducing the trading hours of “higher risk” new or renewed on-licence premises, from 9am till 2am the following day to 9am till 1am the following day.
• Expanding the list of “higher risk” on-licence premises to include Class 1 restaurants, and other on-licence premises listed in section 5 (3) of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Fees) Regulations 2013, with a weighting of 15 or more.

On-licences one-way door policy

The one-way door restrictions for on-licences are still at the District Licensing Committee’s discretion, but the recommendation has been expanded to include the whole week and higher risk premises.

Off-licences cap

The total number of off-licences in the main shopping centres of Te Awamutu, Kihikihi, Leamington, and Cambridge will be capped when the policy comes into effect on March 10. This means no other off-licence premises will be able to open in the identified areas unless one closes down or moves out of the capped area.

Club licences one-way door policy

One-way door restrictions can now only be applied to Class 1 clubs with a closing time later than midnight.

Sensitive facilities

• Adding community facilities (for off-licences only), rehabilitation treatment centres and marae to the list of “Sensitive Facilities”.
• Conditions around Sensitive Facilities and Community Facilities can be bypassed if it can be proven by the DLC and ARLA that the impact will be no more than to a minor extent.

For off-licences only:

• The distance measured between off-licence premises and a Sensitive Facility or Community Facility will now be measured from the whole building.
• Location of Sensitive Facilities does not affect a licence renewal if such facilities were established after the original licence was issued.
• No new off-licence may be issued for premises that are greater than 40 metres and less than 100 metres from sensitive facilities and community facilities which the DLC and ARLA reasonably believes can be impacted by the off-licence.

Discretionary Conditions

changes as of Tuesday, July 1, 2025

*All prices are excluding GST

After the two initial increases, council intends to review the Alcohol Fees Bylaw alongside the annual review of its Fees and Charges Schedule.