Street closures and roped-off outdoor bar extensions could be introduced to keep New Year's Eve celebrations orderly along Tauranga downtown's waterfront entertainment strip.
Fears that the larger and larger crowds being attracted to The Strand could erupt into a riot rivalling what used to happen at Mount Maunganui has prompted the police, city council and licensees to sit down yesterday to try to find solutions.
There was a strong consensus for banning vehicles from most of The Strand on New Year's Eve, along with the bottom blocks of the three main side streets - Wharf St, Hamilton St and Harington St.
And a solution appears to have been found to concerns that police were unable to enforce The Strand's liquor ban last year because boundaries were blurred between public areas and bars.
Licensees welcomed the concept of roped-off areas outside each bar and cafe, promising stepped-up security so patrons could not carry bottles on to the street.
The meeting's chairman, Mayor Stuart Crosby, said numbers were building up on The Strand and the risk of trouble was increasing. Rather than wait for something to happen, there needed to be agreement to create a safer environment. "I don't want the world seeing tables and chairs flying around in Tauranga and the police in riot gear."
Inspector Karl Wright-St Clair of Tauranga police said the risk was being managed at the Mount's New Year celebrations and their concern was now with The Strand.
Tanya Bamford-King of Harrington's nightclub said the Mount's problems had been caused by young people, cheap alcohol and few crowd controls. However, she did not think the Mount solution would work on The Strand because the situation was different.
Ricky Walls of Coyote Bar said the Mount Main Beach should be a family night and The Strand for the over-18s. Mr Crosby agreed The Strand was more of an adult area.
There was a lot of interest in the idea of putting on buses to encourage the crowd to disperse in the early hours of the morning.
There was no support from publicans for a ban on glass.
