Councillors yesterday signed off a new draft policy for public consultation that sought to limit the sale of psychoactive substances to parts of the central city.
The move came despite the disappearance of legal highs from shelves across the country in May last year, following a rule change that required manufacturers to prove their products were safe.
But, from November, anyone wanting to sell a legal high could apply to the Ministry of Health's Psychoactive Substances Regulatory Authority for a retail licence, a council staff report said.
''This means the retailers could sell legal highs as soon as one meets the `low harm' test,'' it said.
As a result, councillors at yesterday's planning and environment committee meeting endorsed a new legal high retail location policy for public consultation.
If approved, it would restrict legal high retailers to operating inside an area bordered by Rattray St and Albany St, and including Princes St, the Octagon and George St.
Any outlets would have to be at least 100m away from schools, churches and other sensitive sites, and from each other, to prevent a cluster developing, the policy said.
Council liquor licensing and projects officer Kevin Mechen said in his report the council did not have the power to ban retailers completely, but could control their locations.
Limiting any legal high retailers to the central city would allow ''public surveillance'', keep them out of the suburbs and away from other areas where vulnerable people might live, he said.
While psychoactive products had disappeared from shelves, five Dunedin retailers continued to do ''quite well'' selling similar products that did not contain the active ingredient.
That showed demand for such products remained, Mr Mechen said.
If the draft policy was adopted, the council would be consulted by the regulatory authority whenever a retailer applied for a licence, he said.
The authority would check to see if the application complied with the council's policy, but that would be the extent of the council's involvement.
Committee chairman Cr David Benson-Pope was pleased to see the draft policy, as there was ''no doubt'' the community remained concerned about legal highs.
''It would be good if we didn't have to deal with Government's responsibilities, but unfortunately we do,'' he said.
Public consultation, through a special consultative procedure, would run from Friday until September 14.
Submissions would be heard by a panel comprising Crs Benson-Pope, Aaron Hawkins, Andrew Whiley and Mike Lord.
Legal highs policy
• Any retailers limited to central city only.
• No legal high retailers within 100m of schools, churches and other sensitive sites, or each other.
• Legal high retailers can, from November, apply for a licence to sell new products that meet''`low harm'' test.
• Ministry of Health's Psychoactive Substances Regulatory Authority will consult councils - including DCC - to check retailers' applications comply with local policies.
