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Responsible management of alcohol

The responsible management of alcohol means providing a safe and enjoyable environment for the people attending your event, and serving alcohol responsibility so no one gets intoxicated. The licensee of your event (the person named as holding the license) is responsible for ensuring the requirements of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act (2012) are met. Large events will require an Alcohol Management Plan before a special license application will be considered. The purpose of the plan is to outline how alcohol sale and supply and alcohol-related risks will be managed at your event.

It is important that you read Guidelines for Managing Alcohol at Large Events before starting on your Alcohol Management Plan. This document includes a template you can see and examples of how to fill it in.

Guidelines for Managing Alcohol at Large Events — Amohia Te Waiora (external link)

Your alcohol management plan

Your Alcohol Management Plan should be in place well before your event. Consider the following.

  • Imposing alcohol restrictions on entry.
  • Preventing intoxicated patrons entering the venue.
  • Checking IDs of those entering.
  • Having food and water readily available, and well promoted.
  • Providing and promoting low and non-alcoholic drinks at a reasonable price.
  • Controlling the number of serves per person.
  • Restricting alcohol sale hours.
  • Controlling containers for the supply and consumption of alcohol.
  • Considering alcohol-free and family-friendly areas.
  • Restricting the type of alcohol supplied.
  • Having a sufficient ratio of patrons to security.
  • Training security and bar staff on how to monitor and manage patrons for intoxication and take appropriate action.
  • Training security staff on bag search requirements and methods for disposing of confiscated alcohol.
  • Promoting values that communicate intolerance of aggressive behaviour, including by staff.
  • Regular meetings between the licensee and relevant agencies during the event itself.

Your responsibilities

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 aims to improve New Zealand’s drinking culture and reduce alcohol related harm. Specifically, the object of the Act is that the sale, supply, and consumption of alcohol should be undertaken safely and responsibly & that the harm caused by the excessive or inappropriate consumption of alcohol should be minimised.

The Act (Section 4) states that harm caused by the excessive or inappropriate consumption of alcohol includes:

  1. Any crime, damage, death, disease, disorderly behaviour, illness or injury, directly or indirectly caused, or directly or indirectly contributed to, by the excessive or inappropriate consumption of alcohol
  2. Any harm to society generally or the community, directly or indirectly caused, or directly or indirectly contributed to, by any crime, damage, death, disease, disorderly behaviour, illness, or injury of a kind described in point 1 above.

Listed in the Act (Sections 248 to 253) are the responsibilities of licensees around preventing intoxication and disorderly conduct on the premises for which their license applies. To allow either is an offence under the Act.

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 — New Zealand Legislation (external link)

Host responsibility

Host responsibility means managing and monitoring patron consumption of alcohol, not waiting until intoxication becomes evident before doing anything. Providing free access to water and promoting water shows you are complying under the Act. Licensees must provide free water that is easily accessible. (Section 5 Interpretation: freely available to customers).

Host responsibility guide — Amohia Te Waiora (external link)

Checklist

  • Event planning commences
  • Review OurHealth Managing Alcohol at Large events resources
  • Special license application drafted
  • Special license application submitted to Liquor license Inspector at local council includes Event Map and Alcohol Management Plan
  • Liquor license Inspector requests reports from Police and DHB
  • Negotiations between applicant, Liquor license Inspector, Police and DHB about application
  • DHB contacts applicant if there are any safe drinking water requirements.
    Your license may also be subject to the Health (Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2007, in relation to Temporary Water Supplies. If this is the case the District Health Board’s Medical Officer of Health has powers under this Act to ensure that safe water is provided to the premise. The District Health Board’s Drinking Water Team may contact the license applicant to help identify any issues that could require Medical Officer of Health approval and to ensure any subsequent conditions are met.
  • Adjustments to application in line with recommendations
  • Special license approved
  • Event organiser holds planning meetings to confirm roles and responsibilities — Event staff, Liquor license Inspector, Police, DHB, Fire, Security, Vendors, St John Ambulance, Red Cross
  • Event takes place
  • Post event debrief meetings and reports (Liquor license Inspector, Police Alcohol Harm Reduction Officers, and DHB staff are happy to assist with your debrief)

Contacts

Public Health, councils and police can help with planning and delivering a safe and enjoyable event.

Public Health contacts

Council maps and websites — Local Government New Zealand (external link)

Find Police stations by district — New Zealand Police (external link)

Resources

Online and downloadable resources

You can download signs, posters, booklets and guides from our alcohol awareness websites.

Alcohol resources — Health Promotion (external link)

Resources and publications — Amohia Te Waiora (external link)

One for One resources

One for One is a Health NZ - Hawke's Bay brand that has been successfully promoted for a number of years by Health NZ, NZ Police, ACC and councils. One for One promotes safer drinking through a simple message: drink one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage, whether at home or at a licensed premise.

We have a range of free resources and equipment available including tear drop flags, canvas banners, posters and large screen visuals. Find out more about resources and merchandise we have by: