Retail NZ to monitor new police move-on orders

Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young has announced that the association will closely monitor the implementation of new police move-on orders to determine if they effectively reduce harmful behavior or merely relocate it.

While acknowledging that retailers face ongoing challenges with threatening, abusive, and disorderly behavior in urban centers, Young expressed concerns that the powers might simply shift antisocial activity from one retail area to another. The association noted that legislative amendments—such as limiting the orders to individuals aged 18 and older and requiring begging to be deemed unreasonable before enforcement—have improved the framework.

Retail NZ intends to work alongside police and social agencies to ensure that interventions include appropriate wraparound services, emphasizing that lasting improvements require addressing the root causes of antisocial behavior.