Hapori will have a greater say about how alcohol is sold within their communities, as the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Bill passes its third reading. Māori Public Health experts at Hāpai Te Hauora acknowledge the passing of this legislation.
But, it falls short of the comprehensive, system-wide change needed to ensure whānau and hapori are protected from alcohol harm.
Māori Public Health experts, Hāpai te Hauora are calling for alcohol harm to be addressed and prioritised in the wake of alarming statistics released last week.
Auckland's Local Alcohol Policy (LAP) has been upheld by the Supreme Court in a landmark decision that Māori public health organisation, Hāpai Te Hauora is hailing as a victory for communities most afflicted by poor alcohol policy in Auckland and nationally.
After many years of what they say are failed policies, marae, hapū, iwi and community leaders are calling for reform of alcohol laws.
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The review of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act announced in late 2022 by Justice Minister Kiritapu Allan is explicitly targeted at empowering communities to effectively combat alcohol-related harm.
The first phase of the review will address district licensing, an area of regulation that has frustrated communities since its inception.
Flawed from day one, the local alcohol policies, which were intended to allow communities to set their own rules to reduce alcohol-related harm, instead became an expensive exercise in demonstrating the power of the alcohol lobby.
Hāpai te Hauora and Alcohol Healthwatch celebrate the changes put forward by Justice Minister Kiritapu Allan today to give power back to communities in decisions regarding controls on alcohol sales.
One of the most dispiriting things I’ve experienced in my time working in public health has been watching whānau attempt to go up against the alcohol industry, desperate to reduce the harm caused by alcohol in their community, and seeing them fail to gain traction towards meaningful change because of the enormous disparity in resourcing, and the lack of legislative support to correct that imbalance.
Public health agency Hāpai Te Hauora is welcoming the government’s plans to make it harder for alcohol companies and supermarkets to stop local communities from deciding the rules governing the sale of liquor in their area.
Hāpai Te Hauora Chief Executive Officer, Selah Hart said the current regime has created a David and Goliath situation, with small town councils and community boards having to battle multinational liquor companies and the supermarket duopoly in order to implement the wishes of local people.