A Dunedin councillor wants the public to get involved in changes to the city's alcohol laws, saying proposed changes do not go far enough.

Consultation begins this week on new rules for the city's alcohol licences, including capping the number of off-licences in high depravation areas - including the student quarter - and reducing alcohol trading and delivery hours.

City councillor Russell Lund told RNZ’s Checkpoint that Invercargill had a ban on supermarket sales of alcohol, and there were nearly half the level of alcohol-related emergency department admissions there than were seen in Dunedin.

"[In Dunedin] one in 25 visits is alcohol-related harm. So if we want to be serious about it we've got to start having a good hard look at the idea that we should allow supermarkets to devote a huge amount of floor-space to selling alcohol," Lund said.

Lund said the council should not be "threatened" by supermarket opposition to restricting alcohol sales.

He said he also strongly opposed any scheme to allow alcohol purchases to be made under buy now, pay later schemes.

"No. One thousand percent no. It's not a necessity. It defies any sort of logic or common sense to me," Lund said.

Lund said capping the number of new off-licences in high-depravation areas would be a useful tool to limit the extent of alcohol-related harm about the city.

"If you want to control behaviours or try and get better results for society you have to put subtle barriers - you have to make it essentially a little bit harder and less convenient - and that's just one obvious things you can do," Lund said.

He appealed to the public to get involved and make submissions to the consultation process.

"If we want to stop being the worst city for alcohol-related harm you have to not just trim around the edges and - if people are serious and are willing to consider the idea that we should legislate against the supermarkets - then they should let us know," Lund said.