Setting opening hours for licensed premises should continue to be a local decision, not a national one, the Central Otago District Council believes.
The council this week finalised its submission on the Law Commission's report "Alcohol in Our Lives".
It opposed any move to having nationally restricted hours for licensed premises.
Council liquor licensing inspector Sarah Wilson said hours should be a matter covered in the local liquor policy.
"Every district is different and local communities should have input into the operating hours of licensed premises in their district," she said.
The council agreed to support the existing powers and functions of the District Licensing Agency, but suggested the powers should be beefed up.
Then the agency could have the power to decline an application after a hearing at local level, rather than the Liquor Licensing Authority having to deal with objections.
Councillors debated whether the drinking age should be raised, but stayed neutral until they had more information.
"We need to address the issues in this neck of the woods, and at Otematata at the weekend, all hell broke loose because people, dare I say it, couldn't handle alcohol," Cr Neil Gillespie said.
However, it was important to make an informed decision on the matter and avoid an ill-considered knee-jerk reaction.
Cr Clair Higginson said the council had already acted on its concerns about alcohol-fuelled behaviour by implementing liquor bans.
"We do have a view then on the inappropriateness of very young teenagers drinking and behaving in a particular way, so I think we should say the drinking age should go up," she said.
Cr John Lane said existing penalties for licensees who sold liquor to underage people were a sufficient deterrent.
"They start at fines of $10,000, which would basically break most pubs or licensed premises," he said.
The real problem was with people supplying liquor to underage drinkers, Cr Lane said.
