Wider approach to the city’s alcohol ban

To help make Auckland’s streets safer for everyone to enjoy, Auckland City Council has decided to extend its current central city alcohol ban and introduce new bans in some suburban areas.

The new bans will come into force on 18 October 2004.

The geographical area of the current central city alcohol ban has been extended to include Albert Park, Nelson Street, Symonds Street and the area around The Strand and Beach Road. The time of the ban has been extended to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

New alcohol bans have also been approved in shopping and business areas that have been identified as a high priority, due to the scale, frequency and impact of alcohol-related problems in those areas.

New bans will be implemented in the shopping/business areas of Panmure, Avondale, Onehunga, Glen Innes, Otahuhu and Mission Bay beach from 10pm to 6am, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and Parnell and Newmarket from 10pm to 6am Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

The chairperson of Auckland City’s Law and Order Committee, Councillor Noelene Raffills, says the Wednesday night bans in Parnell and Newmarket are specifically to address the alcohol related issues resulting from the special Wednesday night drink deals offered by Parnell’s bars and clubs.

“The bans are a mechanism for encouraging responsible behaviour in public places, and are part of the council’s wider agenda to make the city a safer, healthier and more enjoyable place.

“It is also very important that we keep abreast of any issues that may result from the introduction of the new bans. To ensure this, the council will be implementing a number of monitoring activities from the time the bans are introduced,” says Mrs Raffills.

The first review of the new bans will commence in July 2005. Depending on the results of the monitoring, the council may then ask Aucklanders for their views on alcohol-related issues across the city, including issues in other suburban shopping areas and the city’s parks and beaches.

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