Council bans booze on our beaches

Enjoying a beer or wine at the beach will be a no-no when a Whangarei District Council decision to ban alcohol along 270km of coast takes effect.
The council yesterday resolved to prohibit booze on beaches for a year-long trial, although exemptions might be granted for occasions such as beach weddings.
The ban was voted through to give police extra authority to deal with situations like a dance rave last New Year's Eve when more than 2000 teenagers, many drunk, had to be stopped from entering Uretiti Beach campground.
Talks on beach liquor restrictions started at an extraordinary meeting of the council yesterday with Cr Sheryl Mai proposing no changes in current bylaws that ban alcohol on beaches at certain times. She said police had sufficient powers to handle trouble, which wasn't caused by law-abiding citizens having a picnic drink or wedding parties celebrating with champagne.
Deputy Mayor Phil Halse said he didn't mind people having a drink on a beach as long as they took their bottles away. But irresponsible drinkers broke so many glasses and bottles that bucketloads of broken glass were taken from Bream Bay beaches daily over Christmas-New Year.
Cr Halse said glass embedded in sand at Ruakaka had sliced children's feet. At Waipu over Christmas more than 250 people had thrown cans at police. "Police have asked us to push a ban because they haven't the resources to deal with it," Cr Halse said, asking whether the council needed "another outburst or a couple of deaths" before taking action.
Mayor Pamela Peters proposed a 12-month trial ban.
"We have a problem with the drinking culture in this country. The police have come to us regarding Matapouri, Tutukaka, Waipu Cove and Ruakaka, where drinking is causing despair in the community," she said. "We need to be responsive to submissions from the community and to police." She suggested anyone planning something like a beach wedding could obtain a council dispensation from the liquor ban.
Cr John Williamson said he liked the mayor's proposal.
Cr Shelley Deeming said police and communities were begging the council for help and support. There had been a suggestion police were heavy-handed in applying liquor bylaws, but Cr Merv Williams said police action with the Whangarei CBD liquor ban gave him confidence a ban could work on the coast.
Cr Robin Lieffering said a 12-month trial could help refine how the council could then address the issue, but Cr Greg Martin said the trial would be a waste of time because it would be impossible to police.
Cr Mai said the proposed ban was "over the top". "We are proposing banning liquor. If it's glass, ban glass," she said.
The resolution will be drafted into a bylaw which will go to the council for approval before any liquor ban is applied.
* OUTLAW SEASIDE LIQUOR OR JUST HAVE RESTRICTIONS?
By Saskia Konynenburg
With her two daughters playing in the sand on Ruakaka Beach it was easy to see why Karen Perry would be in favour of a beach booze ban in the Whangarei District.
Visiting her father, Dave, who lives in Bream Bay, Aucklander Ms Perry said there was a need for restrictions, but was not too sure about a total alcohol ban.
"If we were having a nice family day out and some young hoons next to us were drinking and ruining it for everyone it would bother me. I'd say something and probably get myself into trouble," she said.
On holiday from Auckland's Maraetai Beach where alcohol is prohibited, Ms Perry said the ban had been a success there.
"The ban has been policed pretty well. You used to get people coming out in the summer to our beautiful beach and wrecking it, but now that happens much less," she said.
"However, instead of a total ban I'd prefer restrictions. There are certain times of the year when it's nice to have a quiet drink on the beach especially when I'm up here on holiday."
She suggested drinking could be banned in certain areas or a drinking curfew imposed.
"How about drink only between the flags like the swim zones or maybe only drink after 7pm when all the families have left the beach?"
Her father agrees and said it was sad that his visiting family would not be able to relax with a drink at Christmas and New Year.
"If people drink in moderation then it's fine. But you always get those that spoil it for everyone and go berserk. I think it'll be hard round here for the police to enforce it," Mr Perry said.
Another holidaymaker Martin Pattison said he thought there should be days exempt from the ban.
"It is nice to sit with a drink on the beach at Christmas but unfortunately some people take it too far. Because there are those that can't be responsible I'd have to say I'm in favour of a ban. Keep the beaches beautiful and tranquil and leave alcohol behind," Mr Pattison said.