A petition signed by 1953 Katikati people and 29 submissions on a Draft Psychoactive Substances Policy have been received by Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

Submissions closed last week for the Draft Psychoactive Substances (local approved products) Policy.

Katikati resident Anne Bowling is petitioning for a legal high-free zone in her town's CBD.

The majority of submissions are against psychoactive substances being sold in the community and the petition, initiated by Katikati residents, calls for councils to have the power to issue licenses and to ban sales of psychoactive substances.

Currently only Central Government has the power, under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2013, to issue licences, or ban sales.

A second petition of 1500 signatures is to be presented to council at the policy hearings next month. This petition calls for retailers of psychoactive substances to be prohibited from the Katikati CBD that extends from Uretara Bridge to Jocelyn Street.

Council says a petition of 24 signatures from residents of Donegal Place in Katikati, bordering the southern part of the CBD, expresses concern about the presence of psychoactive substance retailers close to their homes and the lack of police presence in Katikati from 11pm to 7am to address any consequent problems arising from substance use.

Other submissions called for expanding the number of sensitive sites close to which retailers of psychoactive substances cannot be located. Submitters have asked for pharmacies, liquor outlets and churches to be included in this site restriction.

The draft policy proposes that retailers must be a minimum of 100 metres away from educational institutions, libraries and medical centres.

Submitters have questioned why Te Puke and Katikati have been selected as the areas in Western Bay to allow retailers of psychoactive substances to operate.

Council says there was some support for keeping retailers out of Katikati's CBD, but permitting the existing retailer to continue operating in a small commercial zone to the north of the Katikati central business district. This was supported in a petition signed by 176 customers of this retailer.

Hearings of submissions on the Draft Psychoactive Substances (local approved products) Policy are on Monday, 7 April. Council will meet on Monday, 14 April to consider the submissions and adopt the policy.