Councillors voted to approve a draft replacement of its local alcohol policy for public consultation at a meeting on Tuesday.
A hearings panel will consider the submissions and report back to council to seek approval of the final policy.
The draft replacement contained several proposed changes including a ban on new off-licence premises in an area north of the Octagon and a reduction in off-licence hours to 7am to 9pm.
Off-licence hours are from 7am to 10pm at present.
Cr Andrew Whiley asked the council’s alcohol, psychoactive substances and gambling adviser, Kevin Mechen, if he thought there was anything consulted upon that "is going to be litigious later on".
"The supermarkets no doubt will sort of jump up and down about their 9pm closing for off-licences," Mr Mechen said.
An amendment was introduced to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 last year that removed any right of an appeal.
"So if they want to really get gnarly about it, they would have to take a judicial review," he said.
A Woolworths New Zealand spokesperson said the company had a "strong working relationship" with the council and looked forward to working constructively with it on its local alcohol policy.
"We know the council recognises the importance of having a strong evidential basis to support any controls it implements."
A Foodstuffs South Island spokesman said the company supported reasonable conditions being in place to minimise alcohol-related harm and would review and submit on any changes to the local alcohol policy in due course.
Cr Mandy Mayhem was the only councillor who spoke to the motion.
Dunedin was a "student town", she said.
A total of 51% of all cases presenting at Dunedin Hospital were the result of alcohol-related harm, and a large proportion of these were in the 18 to 24-year-old age bracket.
The average of alcohol-related injuries presenting at the hospital was five per day — 14 each week were triaged in the imminent or potentially serious category and five per month presented at ED with life-threatening conditions.
International evidence showed exposure to alcohol marketing was a leading cause for early-onset drinking at an adolescent age and binge drinking, she said.
"We have a responsibility as the carers of the young people visiting our city as students to make sure that this policy is thoroughly consulted on and that we put some safety measures in place around alcohol-harm for youth in the city."
