The maximum trading hours for the sale of alcohol from off-licence premises such as supermarkets and bottle stores in the Coromandel will be reducing.

The Thames-Coromandel District Council says the hours will be changing to 7am to 9pm and follows a February hearing with the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority.

The Thames-Coromandel District Council says the maximum trading hours for off-licence premises will change to 7am until 9pm. Photo: File

Council says in 2013 it developed its own Provisional Local Alcohol Policy, which set off-licence maximum trading hours from 7am to 9pm.

'The maximum trading hours that some off-licences can currently operate is from 7am until 11pm,” says council. 'However many don't even stay open this long.”

'A number of parties appealed a limited number of provisions in our Provisional LAP, including the maximum trading hours and several discretionary conditions for off-licences.”

At the February hearing the ARLA upheld council's position on the maximum trading hours and is still considering how the parties will deal with the discretionary conditions.

Once that is completed council's Provisional LAP will be finalised and come into effect. This will include the changes to maximum trading hours for off-licences.

'Our LAP was developed under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 after collecting community feedback along the way.”

For more information including criteria for other licence types (including on-licences), plus background on how the provisional policy was developed visit: www.tcdc.govt.nz/lap