New bill to allow public holiday alcohol sales

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Sales on Anzac Day Morning, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day) Amendment Bill (introduced by Labour MP, Kieran McAnulty) has been drawn from the ballot. The Bill seeks to repeal rules that limit the sale of alcohol on public holidays.

Currently the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 imposes specific restrictions on the sale of alcohol on certain days of the year, namely Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, and until 1 pm on Anzac Day.

The current restrictions under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 are as follows:

On-Licences (e.g. bars, restaurants): Alcohol sales are prohibited on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, and before 1 pm on Anzac Day, unless the patron is residing on the premises or is there to dine.
Off-Licences (e.g. liquor stores, supermarkets): Alcohol sales are banned on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, and before 1 pm on Anzac Day.
Remote sales (e.g. delivery services): No alcohol can be delivered from an off-licence on Good Friday, or Christmas Day, or before 1pm on Anzac Day and only grape, fruit or vegetable wine produced on the premises can be delivered on Easter Sunday.

If the Bill is enacted then sections 47, 48, and 49 (2) of the Act, which prevent or limit sales and deliveries on these days, will be repealed or amended.

However, it is noted that a previous bill seeking repeal of Good Friday and Easter Sunday as restricted trading days, was defeated on 17 December 2024 in its first reading, with 74 votes against and 49 in favour. This outcome indicates a prevailing sentiment within Parliament to maintain the current restrictions on alcohol sales during these significant days.

Hopefully this Bill will make all the way to Royal Assent. It is pleasing to see that some are continuing to fight for proposed amendments to the Act that support the hospitality and alcohol industry. The removal of these restrictions will no doubt be welcomed and supported by many of those in the hospitality industry.

At Harkness Henry we have a team who specialise in Alcohol Licensing and we are able to assist with licence applications, District Licensing and ARLA hearings and general advice regarding the sale and supply of alcohol in New Zealand.

This article is current as at the date of publication and is only intended to provide general comments about the law. Harkness Henry accepts no responsibility for reliance by any person or organisation on the content of the article. Please contact the author of the article if you require specific advice about how the law applies to you.