Liquor ban for popular Long Bay regional park

North Shore police want a liquor ban in daylight hours at Auckland's most popular regional park, which could outlaw the traditional glass of wine with a picnic.

Long Bay Regional Park is included in a proposal to introduce a city-wide permanent overnight liquor ban.

The city council's ban would stop drinking on the beach, which it controls to the low tide mark.

The reserve is administered by Auckland Regional Council, which closes it during the hours of darkness and invites the police to eject troublemakers.

But police operations manager Inspector Les Paterson says liquor problems arise during daylight hours.

"The community needs to consider an alcohol ban that covers the hours the reserve is open," he says in a submission on the council's drink-ban plan.

"This is likely to be contentious as innocent community members wishing to enjoy a quiet wine with their picnic hamper would also be breaking a law that was designed to deal with those who abuse alcohol, then cause disorder and violence.

"The law is the law and the police cannot discriminate."

The police request will be considered by the two councils and the Eastern Bays Community Board.

ARC parks director Lance Vervoort said regional councils did not have the same power to ban alcohol as the territorial councils. Local Government Minister Chris Carter had been asked about amending the law.

"All we can do is use the Trespass Act and ask people to leave if they are intoxicated or not acting in an appropriate manner.

"At Long Bay we have more issues than at other parks, because of people going there with copious amounts of alcohol, and the heat of the sun and the boy racers zooming around the carpark.

"The police have been very good and help our rangers because we get 7000 to 8000 people a day on public holiday weekends.

"It's not always easy though, because we only have two rangers on and there could be a group of 40 young people and things could get out of control."

Last summer, said Mr Vervoort, the council tried a new move to snuff out twilight drinking parties.

It had security guards close the gate to the carpark at 7pm instead of the traditional 9pm, and they stopped people walking through with alcohol.

The move did cut down bad behaviour.

"But we had other people saying we were making a judgment call on who could and could not enter the park.

"We don't want to stop people having a quiet wine with their picnic."

Mr Vervoort said early closing was being reviewed along with other possible measures in an effort to strike a balance.