Our Council has adopted the new Alcohol Control Bylaw, after considering feedback from more than 100 submissions we received in the public consultation we held over June and July.

The new bylaw takes effect from 18 December and it replaces the existing Part 4 Liquor Bans of the Consolidated Bylaw 2004.

The final bylaw differs from the original proposals that we asked for feedback on: the year-round, 24/7, town centre alcohol bans have been kept, but the extended summer bans that were proposed have been changed in favour of keeping the existing dates and times.

We proposed a summer ban on alcohol on our east coast beaches and adjoining reserves: Alcohol would have been banned from 7pm - 7am over the peak summer period of 20 December to 9 February.

The new bylaw adopted this week maintains the existing Christmas and New Year ban from 23 December to 6 January (24/7) on beaches and seaside reserves and throughout some townships, as well as the existing bans in these areas on long weekends.
The Alcohol Control Bylaw contains a schedule with maps showing the areas of the town centre bans as well as the Christmas/New Year and long weekend bans.

The areas affected by the alcohol bans are also listed below.

We adopted the new bylaw because an amendment to the Local Government Act in 2013 required that all alcohol control bylaws be reviewed by 18 December 2018, otherwise these existing bylaws would be revoked.

The bylaw gives the police the power to enforce the bans. If someone is drinking or has alcohol in a public place when an alcohol ban is in force, the police are able to request that they stop, they can dispose of the alcohol, impose a fine and take further action if necessary.

If you’ve just bought alcohol and are carrying it in a public place, unopened, to enjoy it at home or another private place or to a BYO restaurant, for example, the alcohol ban does not apply – as long as it is promptly removed from the public place.

Year-round town centre bans (24/7):
• Matarangi
• Whitianga and Ferry Landing
• Cooks Beach
• Hahei
• Tairua
• Whangamata
• Coromandel Town
• Thames
•
Areas with holiday bans:
• Whangapoua – beaches and seaside reserves
• Matarangi – beaches and seaside reserves
• Rings Beach – beaches and seaside reserves
• Kuaotunu West – beaches and seaside reserves
• Kuaotunu – beaches and seaside reserves
• Otama – beaches and seaside reserves
• Opito Bay – beaches and seaside reserves
• Wharekaho – beaches and seaside reserves
• Ohuka (Brophy’s) Beach – beaches and seaside reserves
• Whitianga – beaches and seaside reserves
• Ferry Landing – beaches and seaside reserves
• Cooks Beach – beaches and seaside reserves
• Hahei – beaches and seaside reserves
• Hot Water Beach – beaches and seaside reserves
• Tairua – entire township
• Pauanui – entire township
• Opoutere – beaches and seaside reserves
• Onemana – beaches and seaside reserves
• Whangamata – entire township
•
The holiday bans cover the following dates:
Christmas/New Year:
From 4:00pm on the 23 December to 4:00pm on 6 January each year except that when 6 January falls on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday the period of the ban is extended to 4:00am on the following Monday.
Auckland Anniversary Weekend:
From 4:00pm Friday to 4:00pm Monday each year.
Easter Weekend:
From 4:00pm Thursday to 4:00pm Tuesday each year.
Queen’s Birthday Weekend:
From 4:00pm Friday to 4:00pm Monday each year.
Labour Weekend:
From 4:00pm Friday to 4:00pm Monday each year.
Any other weekend that has a public holiday on the Friday prior or Monday after:
From 4:00pm on the evening prior to the long weekend until 4:00pm on the last day of the long weekend.

ends

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