People wanting to have their say on proposed changes to alcohol rules for the Western Bay of Plenty have one week left to get their feedback in.

The changes are part of Western Bay of Plenty District Council's review of the Local Alcohol Policy and Alcohol Control Bylaw.

The submission period will close on Monday, December 6.

"We want to reduce alcohol related harm in our communities. We've talked with Police, community groups and public health officials about how we can do that using the tools we have - the policy and bylaw," says Council senior policy analyst Matthew Leighton.

"The changes we've proposed reflect their concerns and recommendations and will help make our communities safer."

The three significant changes suggested are:

• Reducing off licence hours, with alcohol sales ending at 9pm (not 10pm). Includes alcohol stores, grocery stores and supermarkets for example.
• Not licensing any new bottle stores in the Te Puke-Maketu ward
• Increasing the coverage of the ban on alcohol in public places (Alcohol Control Area) in Te Puke to cover the entire urban area, not just the town centre.

Council is also asking the community for their ideas on what else we can do to protect our communities and promote safe and responsible alcohol use.

These ideas can feed into future community development and safety work.

You can share your thoughts by visiting our online community engagement site haveyoursay.westernbay.govt.nz/alcohol-review or get in touch via one of our library and service centres.

Council is seeking feedback on these changes until Monday 6 December. The feedback will inform the final Local Alcohol Policy and Alcohol Control Bylaw presented to Council's Policy Committee for approval in March 2022.

If you would like to speak to your submission at a Have Your Say Day in Council Chambers on Tuesday, December 14, please email haveyoursay@westernbay.govt.nz or phone 0800 926 732 no later than Monday, December 6.