- Hon Nicole McKee
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee outlined proposed changes to special licensing rules for the events sector, speaking at the New Zealand Events Association's annual conference today.
"This Government recognises the enormous economic, social, and cultural value of New Zealand's events sector. To operate effectively, innovate, and plan ahead with confidence, you need simple, stable, and practical rules," Mrs McKee says.
These proposed changes to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 build on last week's announcement, which included flexibility around televised national events.
The following reforms are designed to reduce unnecessary red tape and provide greater certainty and consistency for the events sector, while continuing to prioritise the reduction of alcohol-related harm.
Key Reforms to Special Licensing:
- National Risk-Based Framework: To remove inconsistent decision-making across the country, a nationally applied, risk-based framework will be introduced for assessing special licence applications. District Licensing Committees (DLCs) will be required to apply this framework, with the details, including risk ratings and conditions, set in regulations to allow for flexibility and regular updates.
- Coordinated Approach for Multi-District Events: Where an event spans multiple council areas, DLCs will be required to consult each other within a specified timeframe to ensure consistency and avoid repetitive processes and costly delays for organisers.
- Large-scale Events: The threshold for large-scale events, which require complete event management plans, certificates of compliance and to work with Police on event management, increases from 400 to 2000 people. This will reduce costs associated with obtaining a special licence for many events.
- National Events Flexibility: As announced last week, the responsible Minister will now have the power to declare televised national events exempt from special licensing requirements, removing the need for legislative amendments each time. This will allow large-scale events to be planned and approved more efficiently.
"These are sensible, targeted changes which support the Government's creative sector strategy Amplify, which aims to streamline regulation to enable the sector to thrive. We know this kind of red tape can lead to events being cancelled, delayed or scaled down," Mrs McKee says.
The special licensing changes are part of a broader package of reforms designed to modernise the alcohol regulatory system and eliminate unnecessary compliance burdens.
"This is about striking the right balance. We are creating a more efficient, consistent, and business-friendly environment for events, while keeping strong safeguards in place to reduce harm where it matters most."
