Hamilton City Council has voted to introduce a new governance structure designed to sharpen its focus, develop a targeted Local Alcohol Policy focused on off-licence alcohol outlets, and retain the Single Transferable Vote electoral system for the 2028 local elections.
At an Extraordinary Council meeting, Councillors approved a revised governance structure for the remainder of the 2025-28 term. The new structure replaces the committee model implemented at the beginning of the triennium, before the Mayor’s Plan 2025-28 was unanimously adopted by Council.
“Ensuring we have a laser focus on the things that matter most to Hamilton residents is critical, and these changes strengthen alignment between Council’s committee structure and the Mayor’s Plan,” said Mayor, Tim Macindoe.
“Driving better value for money, revitalising our central city, supporting economic growth, and delivering the infrastructure our city needs in a sensible and cost-effective way is what we are determined to achieve.”
The new structure includes four committees focused on finance and assurance, infrastructure, prosperity, and resilience, along with dedicated subcommittees covering council-controlled organisations, procurement, funding and partnerships, and regulatory matters and public submissions.
At the same meeting, Council voted to proceed with drafting a Local Alcohol Policy focused on off-licence premises, including bottle stores, supermarkets and other outlets that sell alcohol for consumption elsewhere, with an aim to reduce alcohol-related harm in the community. The decision follows research, stakeholder engagement, and a February 2026 perceptions of alcohol survey.
Research presented to Council showed community concern about the availability and location of off-licence premises, with 61% of survey respondents saying there were too many bottle stores in their area and 69% supporting restrictions on alcohol outlets near sites considered sensitive to alcohol-related harm.
Potential options for the draft policy include rules around the location, signage, number and trading hours of off-licence outlets. Any proposed rules would be subject to further analysis and public consultation before Council makes a final decision.
Council also revisited a decision made earlier this month on how Hamiltonians vote in local elections.
In a majority decision, councillors agreed to retain the current voting system – Single Transferable Voting (STV) – for the 2028 election. Hamilton voters will also be asked to choose their preferred voting system in a poll held alongside that election, with the result taking effect from 2031.
Council also directed staff to gather community feedback on voting systems and to report their findings back to Elected Members.
The meeting’s agenda, a live stream recording of the meeting, and the minutes are available at hamilton.govt.nz/meetings.
