The coalition government has announced plans to reform special licensing regulations, making it simpler for organisers to run events across New Zealand.
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee presented the proposed changes at the New Zealand Events Association’s annual conference.
They expand on last week’s alcohol law changes that simplified the process for ministers to approve one-off special trading hours for pubs or clubs hosting major sporting or cultural events.
The changes introduce a nationally consistent, risk-based framework for evaluating special licence applications to ensure uniform decision-making across the country.
According to the minister, District Licensing Committees (DLCs) will need to implement this framework, with specifics—such as risk ratings and conditions—laid out in regulations to provide flexibility and allow for ongoing updates.
The government is establishing a coordinated system for events that cover multiple council areas, requiring District Licensing Committees to consult with each other within a set timeframe to ensure consistent decisions and prevent organisers from facing duplicate procedures and costly delays.
The threshold for large-scale events, which require comprehensive event management plans, compliance certificates, and collaboration with police on event management, is being raised from 400 to 2000 attendees.
McKee said this would help lower the expenses involved in obtaining a special licence for many events.
The responsible minister would also gain the authority to exempt televised national events from special licensing requirements, eliminating the need for legislative changes each time such an exemption is made.
McKee explained that the reforms aim to cut unnecessary bureaucracy while providing the events sector with greater predictability and uniformity.
“These are sensible, targeted changes which support the government’s creative sector strategy Amplify, which aims to streamline regulation to enable the sector to thrive.”
“We know this kind of red tape can lead to events being cancelled, delayed or scaled down.”