The council's community services committee has recommended a working group be set up to prepare a draft ''local approved products policy'' under the Psychoactive Substances Act.
Mr Kircher said while the Government had recently decided to prepare legislation to remove 41 substances still legally on the market, he believed there was still a need for a policy in the Waitaki district.
All it had done was give it more time to prepare a policy.
One Oamaru shop continues to sell the highs.
''It's [legal highs] an immediate issue that needs to be dealt with very quickly. We have the ability to stop sales,'' he said. Cr June Slee said she had recently visited the Oamaru shop selling legal highs and was appalled at what she saw, including the amounts being bought and packets being opened before they even left the store.
''Young people are getting addicted for life and seriously ill.''
Community services group manager Thunes Cloete said development of a policy was a tool the council could use to regulate where products could be sold. He suggested the working party prepare a draft policy which would then be open for public consultation, along with hearings of submissions if needed.
Mr Kircher, Crs Slee, Melanie Tavendale and Jim Hopkins were appointed to the working party, which will include representatives from police, mental health, community safety and development, Dr Cloete and the council's regulatory department.
