Banning 18 year olds from buying alcohol in bottle shops and supermarkets, and imposing a ‘one way' policy in city bars are among changes the Tauranga City Council wants to see in liquor laws.

Tauranga City Council submissions on the Alcohol Reform Bill also propose removing licence holders' right of appeal to the Liquor Licensing Authority, and support a relaxing of sale of liquor prohibition on Anzac Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day.

Mayor Stuart Crosby wants the Tauranga City Council to present in person its submissions on the Alcohol Reform Bill.

The council also supports the Bill's proposal for Local Alcohol Policies, which allow the council to continue to impose local trading hours, for example closing Mount Maunganui bars at 1am and closing Tauranga bars at 3am instead of 4am.

The end of shift for Tauranga police working on The Strand is also 3am, says Tauranga City Councillor Larry Baldock.

'Very few get to go home at 3am when their shifts finish,” says Larry.

'They are still picking up the mess that comes out of the bars.”

‘One way doors' refers to preventing people entering bars either after midnight or an hour or two before closing. The intention is to prevent late night drinkers bar hopping and contributing to The Strand's perceived problem with drinkers.

Mayor Stuart Crosby says the Alcohol Reform Bill is similar to the gambling policy in that the costs of it will fall on ratepayers.

Associated amendments to the Local Government Act will mean ratepayers will have to pay for the bylaws made if the Bill is passed into law.

Under the proposed local alcohol policy, the council will have to pay to assess the number of licenses, residents' socio-economic status, the demography of holidaymakers, the health of residents and the nature and severity of alcohol related problems in the district.

'That's where the costs will lie,” says Stuart, who is recommending the council appear before the select committee to make its submissions.