Waka ama training has been affected by broken glass at Lake Ngatu. Photo / Sue Foster
A steady stream of alcohol-related incidents has put Lake Ngatu and Kaitāia on the agenda of community board meetings, looking to review alcohol control areas in the ward.
At a recent Te Hiku Community Board meeting an application was made to declare a new Alcohol Control Area at Lake Ngatu and amend the current Alcohol Control Area in Kaitāia.
This could see the alcohol ban area expand to include laneways, carparks in Kaitāia and a new ban at Lake Ngatu.
This comes as Kaitāia recorded the Far North’s highest number of alcohol-related incidents last year, according to police data.
The data was included in the report which forms part of the application.
Police data shows the Far North recorded 482 alcohol-related incidents in public places between 2021 and 2024, with 145 in Kaitāia last year alone.
Far North District Council policy adviser Donald Sheppard authored the report and presented it before the board.
“We are focusing on the Te Hiku Ward and what we did was apply a decision-making criteria and we had to identify towns in the ward that had a high degree of alcohol related harm occuring in public and we went from police stats mainly,” Sheppard said.
He added that there was also compelling evidence that children were getting cut by broken glass, particularly when attending waka ama training at Lake Ngatu.
“If we had alcohol ban area there it would mean police can come and ask people to remove alcohol etc.”
A popular recreational area, Lake Ngatu is actively used for waka ama and Roz Popata, operations manager at the Maungataniwha ki Rangaunu Trust, said some of their students have suffered injuries as a result of broken beer bottles in the water and around the lake.
“Broken glass is everywhere around Lake Ngatu, it’s in the water, in the grass, it’s everywhere.”
Popata said the broken bottles and other alcohol-related damage detracts from the overall experience of the lake.
“We use it regularly, at least twice a week, and some people use it on a daily basis, and it means our kids, who like to go swimming, get glass in their feet. It’s a family area and families come and have picnics. It exposes all our families to broken glass and unnecessary incidents. It’s already hard enough to get to a doctor.”
“I have seen everything from cut feet to infections and also cuts on hands from picking up broken glass.”
She said she is fully in support of having controlled areas or other preventative measures that would ensure students’ safety.
Police said they are aware of the alcohol review proposal, and alcohol harm reduction officer Sergeant Michelle Row noted that while implementation is up to the council, they would welcome any steps to make public spaces safer and reduce harm.
“The sad reality is that alcohol is a key factor in many incidents police are called to every day, and this is an experience for our colleagues right across the country.”
Nationally, on average, one in five victimisations are fuelled by alcohol, she added.
“The harm extends from our homes, to public spaces and our roads. Having these bylaws in place gives police a range of options when it comes to dealing with a situation when staff encounter breaches.”
This can extend from simply engaging with those parties; moving them on; issuing infringement notices; and in some situations may result in arrests.
“At the end of the day, public spaces should be free for anyone in the community to enjoy safely.”
Sheppard said he hoped that council would ratify the recommendation at its next council meeting later this month.