MEDIA RELEASE

26 September 2002

Alcohol ban extended to include Viaduct Harbour

The city centre alcohol ban will be extended to cover the Viaduct area before the end of next month, the Auckland City Council announced today.

The city centre alcohol ban, introduced today, covers only the public places within the area roughly bordered by Quay Street, Hobson Street, Karangahape Road, Queen Street, Mayoral Drive, Kitchener Street, Fort Street, Britomart Place and the public streets around the Viaduct. It does not include the Viaduct Harbour.

Councillor Noelene Raffills, chair of the Council’s Law and Order Committee explains, during the public submission process for the city centre alcohol ban, several submissions were received from business operators in the Viaduct requesting the ban be extended to the cover the Viaduct area.”

At the request of business people and residents in the Viaduct, the council has been working with the police and the Viaduct’s private property owners, Ports of Auckland and Viaduct Holdings Limited, to develop a practical solution.

Councillor Raffills says the private property owners in the Viaduct area have, on the council’s advice, agreed to give the police the authority to issue trespass notices to people who are in the possession of, or drinking alcohol on their land.

This means that once signage has been put up, the liquor ban can be applied to the whole Viaduct area as the police are now able to prevent people drinking alcohol in the privately owned as well as the council owned areas within the Viaduct.

“Obviously the pavement seating areas attached to licensed premises and private apartments are excluded from the ban,” she says.

“The police will be exercising their authority to act in relation to trespassers in the same way as they will exercise discretion in reinforcing the inner city liquor ban. The police will not be targeting people carrying a bottle of wine through the Viaduct area to a BYO restaurant.

Auckland has a busy summer coming up and it is imperative that the city centre, including the Viaduct Harbour, remains a safe and enjoyable place for a night out,” Councillor Raffills says.

The Viaduct Accord group, which represents both business and residential interests, is extremely happy with the liquor ban extension, its chair, Geoffrey Atherfold says.

“Alcohol fuelled behavioural problems have been an issue in the past for Viaduct businesses and private property owners. There was concern that the interest created by the America’s Cup would make the problem worse.”

New Plymouth introduced a city centre alcohol ban in April this year. Sergeant Terry Johnson, of the New Plymouth police, says the ban has significantly reduced disorderly behaviour and criminal activity.

Councillor Raffills says, Auckland is looking forward to a similar positive outcome.

ENDS

© Scoop Media