KEY POINTS:
A proposal to permanently ban alcohol from Whangarei beaches at all times attracted just one objection.
The controversial bylaw had a trial run in the district for a year up to the end of last month.
At their meeting yesterday, Whangarei District councillors agreed to amendments to the liquor bylaw so the ban could come into force before Christmas.
A full report - including analysis of the lone submission, with a recommendation from council staff - will be presented to councillors on December 17 for a final vote.
Once passed, the bylaw will apply to all public places from the high-water mark up to 300m inland along the district's entire coastline, with the exception of areas controlled by the Department of Conservation, where alcohol is banned already.
The DoC ban was brought in after New Year's Eve 2006 when more than 2000 teenagers, many of them drunk, tried to enter Uretiti campground south of Ruakaka.
But even once the new bylaw comes into force, police say they will use their discretion when people are having a few quiet drinks on the beach.
Permission to drink on the beach on special occasions, such as weddings, can be granted by the council's chief executive.
Submitter Donald Bredenbeck, of Ngunguru, said the new bylaw was not needed because police already had powers to deal with troublemakers on beaches.
A Government-initiated referendum was needed before such a bylaw was passed, Mr Bredenbeck said in his submission.
"The ban has largely been ignored by a large number of responsible people and the police have not been proactive in policing [it].
"It will deprive residents and tourists who stop for a drink with their meals in a coastal setting. Why should they now apply for a permit?" Police back the bylaw and a report by Whangarei/Kaipara Area Commander Inspector Paul Dimery noted a decrease in alcohol-related violence on beaches since the year-long trial began.
The liquor bylaw covers all beaches, including Ruakaka, Uretiti, Waipu Cove/ Langs Beach, Oakura, Whananaki, Pataua North and South and Matapouri.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE
