The Association recently met with Auckland Council’s Manager of Licensing and Environmental Health. The discussion focused on addressing the licensing challenges many hospitality businesses face and have raised with us. This includes alcohol licensing, food safety regulations, and outdoor dining fees.
The good news is that work is underway to streamline licensing processes.
Progress on Auckland Council Processes
Streamlining Alcohol Licensing
Work is underway to improve processes in the alcohol licensing space. Significantly, the Council’s licensing team has agreed to assist with mediation of objections to liquor licence applications and renewals. This initiative aims to resolve frivolous objections before they automatically proceed to a District Licensing Committee hearing. This is a change that could save businesses considerable time and cost.
Improved Licence Management
The Council is exploring the development of a user-friendly online dashboard to help business owners manage their licences more efficiently. This system would assist with tracking expiry dates, renewal timeframes, inspections, and the administration required for businesses holding multiple licences.
Ongoing Collaboration
We’ve established regular meetings with the licensing team to ensure we can raise frontline issues directly and work toward practical solutions.
We Need Your Input
If you’re experiencing challenges with Auckland Council licensing processes, please get in touch. We’re particularly interested in hearing about recent experiences—both positive and negative—that could help identify where improvements can be made.
Looking ahead, we’ve invited the Council team to attend future Restaurant Association Auckland branch meetings, providing an opportunity for direct dialogue between Council staff and hospitality operators.
As we head into the busy summer period, we’re optimistic that these collaborative efforts will lead to meaningful improvements in how licensing processes work for our industry.