Published on 21 Aug 2025

Evidence-Based Alcohol Advice Supports Hamilton City Council Decision-Making

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Hamilton City Council needed solid evidence to inform their policy and regulatory development related to alcohol after a previous attempt had stalled due to industry appeals. Our research uncovered clear patterns of alcohol-related harm and identified practical interventions that could make a real difference to community wellbeing.

 

  • Analysis of emergency department data revealed 2,342 alcohol-related presentations over two years, with 56% occurring on weekend nights.

  • Research showed clear evidence that harm disproportionately affected young adults, Māori, and people in areas of higher socioeconomic deprivation

  • Interviews with Police, health officials, academics and business representatives provided crucial local context that ensured recommendations were practical
The Council gained a clear pathway forward to effectively address alcohol-related harm in their community, supported by robust evidence and strategic timing recommendations.

Building the evidence base for effective alcohol harm reduction

Hamilton City Council faced a difficult situation. Attempts to establish a Local Alcohol Policy in 2017 had stalled due to industry appeals. With renewed interest from elected members and the introduction of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Harm Minimisation) Amendment Bill to Parliament, the Council needed robust evidence about alcohol-related harm in their community.

Before investing resources in developing a new policy, the Council needed to understand:

 

  • Website Generic Icons 1200x1200 GREEN 31 The extent of alcohol-related harm in Hamilton.
  • Website Generic Icons 1200x1200 GREEN 31 Whether alcohol licensing factors could effectively reduce this harm.
  • Website Generic Icons 1200x1200 GREEN 31 If there were gaps in the local evidence base.
  • Website Generic Icons 1200x1200 GREEN 31 How to time their policy and regulatory development to avoid previous obstacles.
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Bridging the gap between data insights and real-world implementation

We developed a three-phase approach that combined thorough research with local stakeholder expertise. 

  • Phase 1 - Project Scoping - we worked closely with the Council to determine exactly what evidence they needed. 

  • Phase 2 - Targeted literature review - we examined key evidence sources to identify patterns and effective interventions. 

  • Phase 3 - Stakeholder Interviews - we conducted in-depth interviews with local experts to ground the research in Hamilton's specific context. 

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Mapping the evidence to Hamilton's community context

Our research revealed compelling evidence of significant alcohol-related harm in Hamilton, but also provided evidence for several effective interventions:

  • Emergency department data showed 2,342 alcohol-related presentations over two years. 

  • Clear patterns emerged showing 56% of presentations occurred on weekend nights. 

  • Harm disproportionately affected young adults, Māori, and people in areas of higher socioeconomic deprivation. 

  • Reduced trading hours showed clear benefits, with stakeholders suggesting 2am closing for on-licences and 9-10pm for off-licences. 

  • Location restrictions for new outlets near sensitive sites like schools and treatment facilities were supported by research showing strong associations between outlet proximity and violent crime. 

  • One-way door policies showed limited effectiveness, suggesting resources would be better directed elsewhere. 

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