Alcohol Newsletter - Winter 2025

Hōtoke Winter 2026

Alcohol licensing tips and reminders

Fans of warm fires, hot meals, cold beers and winter sports will be getting a warm Far North welcome this year, as always. This winter, change is in the air – namely changes to licence restrictions on our key public holidays. Read all about it below as well as a few reminders for our much loved local sports clubs. Check out all the winter tips your business needs to know in our newsletter...

Ch-ch-ch--ch-ch changes

Public holiday licence restrictions

From 3 April 2026

businesses that hold an on-licence

can sell alcohol during normal trading hours on

Anzac Day,

Good Friday,

Easter Sunday,

and Christmas Day.

Previous licence restrictions on those days

no longer apply.

For premises holding an off-licence,

alcohol cannot be sold on restricted trading days, except for cellar doors

which may supply wine on

any day of the year.

As licences come up for renewal, the condition relating to sacrosanct days will be removed.

Need a Special Licence

Don't risk non-compliance

Are you planning an event that sits outside your current licence conditions?

A Special Licence may be required.

For things like longer trading hours,

a change to the licensed area,

or (for clubs) events involving

non‑club members.

If you’re unsure whether a Special Licence is needed, check in with us early so it's clarified well before the event.

This helps avoid last‑minute hiccups and supports operating in line with the

Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

Remember, events held outside licence conditions may place a premises at risk of non‑compliance.

Being on the ball this winter

Red cards for sideline drinkers

It's great to see winter sports teams back on the fields doing their bit for their clubs.

Something no one wants to see though

is drinking on the sidelines, because

most Far North fields aren't licensed.

Drinking on sports fields is an offence,

so sports clubs also need to keep

an eye out for those bringing alcohol

into the club room.

Another reminder –

any one who isn't a club member,

or a guest of a member

or an affiliated club cannot be served.

500ml limit on spirits

We're seeing an increase in

premixed spirits being supplied via taps.

This includes products like flavoured gins and other spirit‑based mixes.

Regardless of the method of supply,

spirits must not be sold or

supplied in containers exceeding

500ml per serve.

This applies to on‑licences and club licences, whether alcohol is supplied from a tap, bottle, jug, carafe, or any container.

The 500ml limit applies regardless of the strength or type of drink.

This includes cocktails, shared vessels, and products like fish bowls.

Licensees and managers should ensure staff understand pour limits

and that systems preventing oversized serves are in place.

Where's your guest register at?

Keeping it simple

Clubs are required to keep a register of guests who are on the premises.

This applies to anyone who is not a member or affiliated club member.

The register should include:

Guest’s full name
Name of the hosting member
Date and time of entry.

This helps ensure your club is complying with its licence conditions.

If you don’t already have a guest register process in place,

it's time to set one up.

It could be as simple as a school exercise book.

Licence conditions and

low-alcohol options

A quick reminder to check in with your licence conditions and be familiar with how your premises is meant to operate. Licence conditions apply whenever alcohol is being sold or supplied and set out what’s required for your premises.

From time to time during inspections, we come across situations where low‑alcohol options aren’t available.

Where a licence includes a requirement to provide low‑alcohol options, these need to be available whenever the premises is operating.

Not having required low‑alcohol options available is considered a breach of licence conditions.

Changes to 'Club (Alcohol) Licence'

Big ups to the clubs!

💯

100% of clubs required to be

registered under the new

Incorporated Societies Act

– Club (Alcohol) Licence

got in before the deadline of April 2026.

🎉 Thank you very much 🎉

for sending through a copy or your

Certificate of Incorporation

confirming your registration under the new Incorporated Societies Act 2022.

😊

You are all awesome

and we appreciate your mahi!

Full name of manager on display

Don't forget the full name of the

manager on duty needs to be displayed.

This is a requirement under the

Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012

and applies whenever a manager is on duty.

Displaying the full name helps avoid confusion for staff, patrons,

NZ Police, and inspectors.

This is particularly important when

staff on the same premises

share the same first name.

Keep us posted on staff changes

Some staff may come and go, but when a duty manager is hired or is

no longer working you need to let us know.

Changes in management must be

notified under the Sale and Supply of

Alcohol Act 2012 (Section 231).

Within two working days of the appointment of a duty manager, you must notify your local licensing committee and NZ Police of any changes in temporary and/or

acting management.

Also, a timely reminder to ensure your acting and temporary managers meet the criteria of a manager (e.g. over 20 years of age).