Tell us your views: “Legal Highs” policy for the City Centre
Auckland Council is deciding where psychoactive substances, commonly known as legal highs, can be sold once they are licensed by central government. Council is seeking feedback on their draft policy which looks to ensure that vulnerable people in the community are not overly exposed to the products. Heart of the City have been involved in early conversations around the proposals for the City Centre, and we are generally supportive of what is proposed. We are reminded that these products will only be able to sold once they are proven to be safe.
Below we set out the main elements of what is proposed, along with a link to our HOTCity members survey so you can let us know what you think before we making our submission to Council.
Why does the council have a LAPP?
Auckland Council has set out to grow Auckland into the world’s most liveable city. One of the key ways of doing this is to promote a safe and healthy Auckland.
The LAPP contributes to this by reducing the risk of harm that vulnerable people might experience from legal psychoactive substances.
This harm reduction will be achieved by reducing the availability of these substances to vulnerable populations such as high deprivation areas, youth and people with mental health concerns.
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What authority does the council have to make a LAPP?
The Psychoactive Substances Act 2013 gives Auckland Council the authority to develop a LAPP.
The LAPP can only make rules about:
• The location of premises from which approved products may be sold by reference to broad areas.
• The location from which approved products may be sold by reference to proximity to other premises from which approved products are sold.
• The location of premises from which approved products may be sold by reference to proximity to premises or facilities of a particular kind or kinds.
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What is Council proposing?
For Auckland, except for the city centre:
For all areas of Auckland apart from the city centre it is proposed that licences to retail legal psychoactive substances will not be granted in:
a) areas of high deprivation
b) neighbourhood centres
c) within 500m of a school teaching students year seven and above
d) within 200m of a school teaching students between years one and six inclusive
e) within 500m of the mental health or addiction treatment centre
f) within 500m of an existing psychoactive substances retail licence
g) areas identified as restricted areas on map 1a and 1b.
For the city centre:
For the city centre it is proposed that licences to retail legal psychoactive substances will not be granted in:
a) areas of residential deprivation
b) within 100m of an existing psychoactive substances retail licence.
Map of city centre showing areas of residential deprivation:
For more information on the LAPP or have your direct say to Council click here.
The consultation opens on Tuesday October 28 and closes at 4.30pm on Friday November 28, 2014.
We will be formulating our submission to the draft policy over the month of November, and welcome your thoughts and feedback on what is proposed. Please complete our online survey here or contact Tania Loveridge direct on 09 379 8000 or Tania@hotcity.co.nz
