Selling legal highs could become difficult in Oamaru and impossible in rural towns under a draft policy prepared by the Waitaki District Council.
Outlets will be restricted to the business 1 zone in Oamaru's central business district, around Thames St.
However, having to be 50m away from sensitive sites listed in the draft policy results in only a handful of buildings between Dee and Wear Sts on Thames St being available for outlets.
Yesterday, the council approved a draft Local Approved Products Policy for psychoactive substances, setting rules for the location of outlets, which have to be licensed to sell legal highs.
Developed under a law passed by Parliament in 2013 and another planned in June, the policy can set rules for the location of licensed legal highs outlets but cannot ban them or make their establishment impossible.
However, Cr Melanie Tavendale said the policy was ''a great midpoint result'', and she believed it would be ''very difficult'' to find a place to sell legal highs.
The draft policy will go out for public submissions from February 20 to March 20. A public hearing of submissions is planned on April 1, with the policy being adopted on April 29.
It is proposed in the policy to restrict sales to the business 1 zone in Oamaru, ban sales within 100m of any outlet already selling legal highs and 50m of sensitive sites, which are listed in the policy.
They include schools, child-care facilities, social welfare agencies, pharmacies, medical centres, cultural facilities, sports grounds, reserves, places of worship, any property in the residential zone and even the Alps 2 Ocean cycleway.
Once approved, the policy will be applied to any applications for licences to sell approved psychoactive substances.
The draft policy will be on the council's website, its Oamaru headquarters, Waihemo Service Centre and libraries.
