Getting a special liquor licence will take longer under alcohol-law changes coming into effect next month, the Clutha District Council warns.
Under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, from June 18 all applications for special licences must be lodged at least 20 working days before the start of the event.
The council will also be required to send a copy of the application to the medical officer of health as well as the police, who have 15 working days to respond.
Special licences are required for the sale of liquor at special occasions. They are often used to license one-off events where no licence is held, and sometimes to extend the hours and/or area of a licensed premises.
Council planning and environment manager Murray Brass said that if the full 15 days were used, this left only five days for council staff to receive, consider and process the applications.
''Until now, council has been able to issue special licences within a week or two of applications being received, and applications received in less than 20 days of the event have generally been able to be accommodated.''
However, under the new rules this may be much more difficult, Mr Brass said.
At the council's regulatory services committee meeting last week, councillor Jo Lowrey said she was concerned the tightened time frame would cause some events to be held ''under the table''.
''You can't control when people book a function. I have some real concerns.''
Mr Brass said the council was urging all applicants for special licences to ensure their applications were lodged at least 20 days before the start of their event, earlier if possible.
The application form for a special licence and details required would not change.
However, the medical officer of health would be particularly interested in provisions concerning host responsibility, so it would be important for the applicant to clearly set out the controls and arrangements they would have in place, Mr Brass said.
Under the alcohol-law changes councils were also looking to develop their own local alcohol policies.
If councils did not have their own policies, then they would have to follow a government plan.
The Clutha District Council was in discussions with other councils in Otago and Southland to see if they could work together in developing a template for local alcohol policies, he said.
Information, signage and host responsibility policies are available from council staff.
