Footpaths

Use of footpaths

If you want to carry out any non-pedestrian activities on the public footpath, you'll need to contact the Council. This includes situations where you want to provide outdoor seating for your patrons or display a sandwich board.

Find out below the type of licence or permission you'll need, and how to go about getting it.

Full details of the Council's policy are in:

Footpath Management Policy

Outdoor Seating

If you want to use a footpath or public property for outdoor seating for patrons of your bar, restaurant, café, club or gaming venue, you must apply to the Council for a Pavement Permission.

To apply, read the following and complete the application form on page 7:

Permission to Use Footpath - Policy and Application Form (273Kb PDF)

If you are a licensed establishment, getting a Pavement Permission doesn't automatically allow you to serve alcohol in that area. You will need to apply for a liquor licence for the area separately.

Liquor Licensing

Smoke-free Indoors

If you want to provide an area for smokers, it has to be outdoors - either on your own property or in a public area.

The Smoke-free Environments Amendment Act 2003 requires hospitality venues (bars, clubs, restaurants, cafés, casinos and gaming machine venues) to be smoke-free indoors.

Smoke-free Law in NZ - Ministry of Health website

Clearly Display Your Pavement Permission

You must display your pavement permission next to the seating area so it can be viewed from outside your venue. All permissions have an aerial photograph clearly showing the allowable area.

Displaying your permission will help patrons, staff and enforcement agencies to:

keep pedestrian areas clear
make sure all venues and patrons comply with the central area liquor ban.

Central City Liquor Ban

Renewals

All Pavement Permissions are issued for a period of 1 year (1 July to 30 June). Annual fees include the renewal fee and a lease charge for the space.

The Council will send you a reminder before the permission expires.

Sandwich Boards

You can use a sandwich board on a public footpath if you first get a Sandwich Board Licence from the Council. Whether we grant a licence depends on whether it is safe and appropriate to have a sandwich board at that location.

Back to Top of Page.

To find out more, read the information sheet:

Sandwich Board Information Sheet (172Kb PDF)

To apply for a licence, complete the application form:

Sandwich Board Application (246Kb PDF)

Position your board so it does not get in the way of pedestrians and clutter the footpath. The Council will remove any boards that keep blocking the footpath.

Renewals

All Sandwich Board Licences are issued for 1 year (1 July to 30 June). The Council will send you a reminder before your licence expires.

Annual fees cover the processing and monitoring of the Footpath Management Policy as it relates to sandwich boards.

To update changes to your current licence (contact details or change of location or board), contact the Street Activities Officer.

Other Footpath & Street Activities

To use the footpath for an event or performance, contact the Council's Street Activities Coordinator.

To sell goods from a footpath, see:

Trading in Public Places

For all other activities on public footpaths, other than ordinary pedestrian traffic, contact the Street Activities Coordinator. For some you may need approval beforehand from the Council, in other cases there may be safety issues that you need to think about.

More Information

Sandwich boards:

Tracey Browne
Street Activities Officer

Phone:	(04) 803 8049
Email:	tracey.browne

Other street activities:

Gail Reeves
Street Activities Coordinator

Phone:	(04) 803 8077
Email:	gail.reeves

Footpaths

Outdoor Seating

Smoke-free Indoors

Clearly Display Your Pavement Permission

Renewals

Sandwich Boards

Renewals

Other Footpath & Street Activities

More Information

Related Links