Alcohol Ban Extended At Nelson Sportsground

Friday, 3 October 2025, 6:29 pm
Article: Max Frethey - Local Democracy Reporter

An alcohol ban around Nelson’s Trafalgar Park will be extended in a bid to clamp down on “anti-social” behaviour. Nelson City Council was provided with evidence by police that disorderly behaviour, fuelled by groups of people drinking, has been increasing at the park for at least a year. 

Police had documented verbal abuse, public urination, regular breaches of bail conditions, yelling gang slogans, people being spat on, fighting, Tasman Mako training being disrupted, cannabis consumption, littering, and graffitiing in the area. 

The current alcohol ban is in effect from 9pm to 7am, but the drinking was mostly occurring during daylight hours before 9pm. 

Most incidents occur by the public seating area adjacent to the park’s Maitai gate, but alcohol consumption has also been encountered inside the stadium and in the Trafalgar Street bus shelter, which is used by children using school buses. 

While police can, and have, arrested people for creating public disorder due to intoxication, they were concerned there was no ability for them to act early and move people along before alcohol problems began.

“We have to deal with problems as they arise,” Nelson sergeant Steve Savage told the council on Thursday. 

“We don’t have an issue with the organized events. It’s the informal, anti-social gatherings that we have the problem with.” 

Savage said that he knew those involved by name and that they had agreed to behave and go elsewhere for a while but more had begun showing up and their behaviour had got worse. 

Police were requesting that the alcohol ban be extended to 24 hours a day, rather than just overnight, saying that similar bans elsewhere in Nelson had made the city a “far better” place. 

“It’s really improved the behaviour of people and reduced a significant amount of offenses.” 

Trafalgar Park tenants Nelson City Brass, Nelson Rugby Football Club, Tasman Rugby Union, and Marist Rugby Football Club were supportive of extending the ban. 

The Marsden Recreation Ground in Stoke and Kinzett Terrace have also been identified as areas where disorderly behaviour or drinking occurs, but the council doesn’t believe that additional alcohol bans were warranted at this stage, though that could change in the future. 

Elected members approved the extension, with Mayor Nick Smith the behaviour in the area was “totally unacceptable”. 

“This council needs to be absolutely firm and lock-solid with our police in making our city as safe as possible.” 

He said that if the problem simply moved elsewhere, he would recommend the council followed up on the issue to make such behaviour “as difficult as possible”. 

Smith added that the city needed “a hard head but also a soft heart” when dealing with anti-social behaviour and highlighted the council’s contract with the Male Room to help homeless people access transitional housing. 

Councillor Matty Anderson also supported extending the ban due to the “horrific” behaviour but was concerned that those involved were being “massively othered”. 

“When it’s working well, it’s kind of nice down there when they’re gathering and chatting and having a good time. I wish we could get together and figure out a way that they can have that kind of connection without the horrible stuff.” 

Councillor Campbell Rollo noted that the issue of alcohol abuse was “getting worse” after the Tāhunanui Beach clean-up removed many alcohol bottles from the area. 

He said that the council should prioritise refreshing its alcohol policies. The region’s alcohol strategy was developed in 2006 and last year was recommended by Health New Zealand and Alcohol Healthwatch to be updated. “

The only way we’re going to help conquer this ongoing issue we have of alcohol harm in this community is by being at the front of it,” Rollo said. 

The extended alcohol ban will come into effect on 24 October, and applies to the Trafalgar Park stadium, carpark, tenanted buildings, riverside walkway and seating area, but excludes the pavilion. 

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