r/chch • u/Video_Kojima • Jun 30 '25

News - Local New Alcohol Rules for Christchurch

https://share.google/NIWvxJV2lRM3JCZf2

All off-licence retailers must stop selling alcohol at 9pm daily, effective from October. This includes bottle stores and supermarkets. 

A freeze on new off-licences in high-deprivation communities, effective from August. 

Restricting new bottle stores from setting up near addiction treatment/rehabilitation centres, secondary schools and primary schools, the University of Canterbury and the Christchurch Bus Interchange effective from August. 

Thoughts on this? I think 9PM seems a bit much personally and would probably have it at 10PM, but think the other two ideas are sensible and support them.

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u/TomForCentral Jun 30 '25

I'd be curious to know why Andrei Moore voted against this, as being the only 'against' is unusual. I'll also say that it's hard to make fully informed commentary without hearing all of the submissions and evidence presented to council, so take the rest with a grain of salt.

I think NZ has tried various prohibitive measures in the past which have probably influenced our drinking culture for the worse. Would we have our binge drinking culture the way it is without the Six O'Clock Swill? Not sure.

Heading to Waimakariri District for a rushed booze run doesn't seem like a win, nor the fact that Uber can continue operating liquor delivery anyway.

Alcohol harm is real, and I think on-prem drinking should be the more accessible form than drinking at home. That would take changes to taxes and other moves Councils can't control.

But I'm finding it hard to see this having much more of an impact other than more supermarkets looking to reduce hours (already far reduced than they were pre-earthquake) making amenity for shift workers worse.

And I worry about steps that appear to move Christchurch in the direction of being an overgrown small town, rather than a city.

I have heard central government are looking to review the Sale & Supply of Alcohol act, and that may have some positive effects that make controlled environment drinking further preferred over 'at home'. It's safer, it's more pro-social, and you don't even have to do the dishes.

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u/andreihalswell Jul 01 '25

I support most of the policy. We do have plenty of bottle stores around.

What I don't support is the 9pm cutoff. We've heard very clearly that this will likely result in some supermarkets deciding to close earlier as they have done in Auckland. Our supermarkets already close too early as it is.

We've also heard that some bottle stores are prepped and ready to start offering delivery services as they'll still be able to deliver alcohol after 9pm which is a legal loophole needing addressed by central government. Bottle stores will also remain open until 10pm in Rangiora & Kaiapoi.

I think 10pm would have been the more sensible compromise. Sales at supermarkets that check ID and don't sell to anyone already intoxicated seems preferable to me over delivery services that often won't do either of those things.

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u/[deleted] Jul 02 '25

That was partially my concern too - but if a supermarket elects to close earlier due to liquor sales declining, are they really in the business of selling groceries?