Justice Minister Simon Power confirmed yesterday the reforms would stifle the spread of alcohol outlets, limit trading hours and address concerns about advertising and marketing.
MPs will have a conscience vote on the alcohol purchase age, which could lead to a split age of 18 for drinking in bars and restaurants, and 20 for purchasing alcohol from off-licences.
"What we will be announcing tomorrow is a change to the level of say local communities will be able to have in the granting of liquor lic- ences," Mr Power told the Q + A television programme.
"Local communities will be able to object on the basis of things like density, locality, hours of trade."
University of Otago National Addiction Centre director Prof Doug Sellman said the Government had done a lot of work in response to the Law Commission's review of alcohol.
However, documents obtained by the Sunday Star Times showed the Government had avoided decisions that would reduce the drinking problem, he said.
He hoped the Government would surprise him today with some serious interventions.
"... the equivalent of surgery, chemotherapy, and a good dose of morphine pain relief for treating cancer, instead of just a few aspirin and a pat on the head."
The Sunday Star Times reported yesterday the Government would raise the buying age in off-licences from 18 to 20, but leave it at 18 in pubs and bars.
It would restrict the alcohol content of Ready to Drink bottles to 1.5 standard drinks.
Greater powers for the police to deal with drunk and disorderly behaviour would be given.
It would tighten alcohol promotion at off-licences, restrict trading hours for off-licences to 7am-11pm and on-licences to 8am-4am, and make licences harder to get and easier to lose.
Dairies and grocery stores would be less likely to be granted licenses or renewals, and penalties for supplying liquor to minors would be strengthened.
University of Otago Department of Preventive and Social Medicine head Prof Jennie Connor said the measures might seem sensible, but a small step was not what was needed.
"This is certainly not what Sir Geoffrey Palmer's team called for after carefully considering the extent of the problems and the range of potential solutions."
