An extraordinary council meeting called to deal with a challenge to the district licencing policy has been adjourned until Monday.

The city council and Western Bay of Plenty District council have a joint local alcohol policy that sets limits on the numbers of liquor outlets and the hours they may trade.

The district alcohol policies are being challenged around the country, says Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby.

The extraordinary council meeting was called to discuss an appeal against the city and Western Bay local alcohol policy, but because the Western BOP district council representatives were unable to appear, the meeting has been postponed.

'We have a combined policy with WBOPDC. Some elements of that policy are being challenged.

'This is happening up and down New Zealand where local council liquor policies are being challenged by other entities, and we are just working through that process,” says Stuart.

'It's all the usual suspects, I'm not going to name them, but everybody knows who they are.

'Because it is in front of the national alcohol group and then it may go to court. We don't know but that's what we are trying to avoid. We're trying to settle these issues before they end in court.

'So we are going it in conjunction with Western Bay and because they haven't met yet to discuss it, that's why it was in public excluded.”

Maximum trading hours will be 7am till 10pm for off-licences, and all on-licences except in the Tauranga City Centre from 9am till 1am. Tauranga City centre bar hours will be 9am till 3am with a one way door from 2am.

The provisions regarding trading hours and the one way door policy don't come into effect for three months after the public notification of the adopted policy.

The policy also sets limits on the number of off licences in Tauranga, Te Puke, and Katikati.