July 2022 In the July issue of The Shout NZ, NZABC's executive director Bridget MacDonald discusses our drinking culture. Sensational stories about our drinking culture don’t always reflect a true or accurate picture of Kiwi’s relationship with alcohol or put the focus on where it needs to be. Enjoying food and drink is how [...]
16 June 2022 Unpublished Letter to the Editor NZ Herald: There’s a Generational Change Starting, and We Need to Talk About It As Patrick Gower recently led us through his personal journey from heavy drinker to sober and sensible (“On Booze” documentary and panel – TV3), there was little space for a deeper discussion [...]
May 2022 In the May edition of The Shout NZ, NZABC's Bridget MacDonald discusses a Members' Bill that proposes banning alcohol brands from sports sponsorship when Kiwis are actually quite comfortable with alcohol on social occasions and sports sponsorship and advertising, and that more pragmatic and targeted measures are required to support moderate consumption [...]
February 2022 In the February issue of The Shout NZ, NZABC's executive director Bridget MacDonald discusses the challenges experienced by the hospitality industry in the COVID environment. Hospitality operators and their teams need to be commended for their rapid adoption of Covid restrictions and the new Protection ‘traffic light’ Framework. These are undoubtedly challenging [...]
Monday 12 July 2021 In the July issue of The Shout NZ, NZABC's executive director Bridget MacDonald discusses how underage drinking is trending downward and some of the initiatives in place to support this downward trend. We all know that alcohol is an adult drink, but sometimes it finds itself in the hands of [...]
16 April 2021 The NZ Alcohol Beverages Council (NZABC) supports the recent decision of the Alcohol Regulatory & Licensing Authority Te Mana Waiture Take Waipiro (ARLA) to refuse the renewal of an off-licence for Two Brothers Wholesale Limited operating in Tokoroa. “The alcohol industry stands firmly against the exploitation of workers in any industry. [...]
10 March 2021 In the March edition of The ShoutNZ, NZABC's Executive Director Bridget MacDonald discusses the recent announcement of the continued commitment of Speights sponsoring the Highlanders Super Rugby team drawing outrage from Alcohol Healthwatch, a government-funded anti-alcohol lobby group. Lion’s Speights brand has been supporting the team for 25 years. Sponsorship is [...]
OPINION 23 December 2020 Bridget MacDonald, NZABC’s Executive Director explains in the Beverage Report 2020 how earlier this year, commentary in the media predicted we’d become a nation of binge drinkers as we headed into a Level 4 lockdown, but in reality, we’ve seen a continuation of our predominantly sensible drinking culture. What’s more, [...]
MEDIA RELEASE 6 July 2020 NZABC's Bridget MacDonald talks with THE SHOUT NZ about the end of the wage subsidy and what that means for the hospitality industry. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that the wage subsidy scheme will end in September, three weeks before the election. Ardern confirmed the decision following her [...]
OPINION 4 June 2020 - Bridget MacDonald, Executive Director as featured in THE SHOUT NZ Hospitality businesses were some of the first to be affected by the pandemic. In February and March, prior to moving into full lockdown for Alert Level 4, restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs were already affected by customers’ initial concerns of being [...]
