Explanatory note

This Supplementary Order Paper restricts the trading hours of off-licence premises to the period from 10 am to 8 pm. Evidence has shown that people purchasing alcohol later in the evening are more likely to have been drinking beforehand and may not have the judgment and self-control necessary to make cogent decisions. This warrants an earlier default closing time than the proposed 11 pm.

It also proposes that off-licence premises open at the later hour of 10 am, thereby not allowing off-licences to open before schools commence. This addresses concerns about inconsistencies in trading hours and availability between neighbouring communities and the issue of pockets of alcohol-related activities burdening certain communities.