Police change tune on Rugby World Cup liquor licensing

Friday 11th June 2010

New Zealand Police has changed its tune over liquor licensing for the Rugby World Cup after Murray McCully, the minister responsible for the event, confirmed a new agency would take on those duties for next year’s tournament.

RWC Minister Murray McCully introduced legislation yesterday to implement a liquor licensing regime specifically for the event which will empower the as-yet-to-be-appointed body to grant temporary approvals relevant to the World Cup, including liquor licensing.

In response to Ministry of Economic Development consultation, NZ Police initially opposed the proposal for a liquor licensing regime specific to the Cup, saying its licensing requirements would be met under the existing Sale of Liquor Act. Since then, it has changed its mind on the matter and is supportive of the proposed regime, a spokesman said.

“The bill will provide a regulatory framework for those holding a RWC liquor licence which will enable responsive management of RWC events whilst reducing the potential for alcohol-related harm,” McCully said in a statement. “This legislation is required to ensure we can adequately meet the requirements of various events and take full advantage of the opportunities presented by hosting the tournament.”

The 2011 Rugby World Cup is expected to bring in 70,000 international visitors to New Zealand in a six-week window, and attract a television audience of nearly four billion, according to the MED Regulatory Impact Statement.

The MED said there will be a “heavy reliance on temporary infrastructure that is unprecedented” and recommended a legislative response, along the same lines as the America’s Cup and Millennium events at the turn of the century, to avoid jeopardising the tournament’s success.

The Rugby World Cup Authority will consider all applications necessary to the Cup’s success, such as events like next year’s Bledisloe Cup test match at Eden Park, and will override any other regulations if something’s deemed to be “RWC permitted activities.” As part of the proposed powers, the authority, and the minister, will be able to grant urgent applications for “unseen approvals necessary for or during RWC.”

The legislation will have a sunset clause to disestablish the authority once the tournament’s over.

The MED projects the legislation will have a “positive economic impact” by enabling consents for temporary activities with the tight timeframes of the tournament, and expects community impacts, such as increased noise, to be modest, according to the Regulatory Impact Statement. Any concerns about curtailing consent appeal rights will be offset by the economic and national interest benefits of maximising the cup’s success, the MED said.

In response to concerns expressed by the Legislation Design Committee, a ministerial committee that receives advice from the Law Commission, the application of the legislation will not include the Health Act, Food Act, Biosecurity Act, and limited scope over the Building and Gambling Acts. It will also require McCully to consult with Economic Development Minister Gerry Brownlee and the relevant minister of an affected portfolio if he wishes to grant an urgent approval.

The committee was also concerned that the liquor licensing provisions were inconsistent with the Law Commission’s review, but the MED’s report brushed these off, saying the RWC bill takes on “many of the provisions” of the Sale of Liquor Act and also allowed for fast and effective enforcement of any breaches of the short-term licences.

Businesswire.co.nz

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