Queenstown Lakes District, with more licensed premises per capita than any other area, appears to be the alcohol capital of New Zealand.
Between 1996 and 2006, the number of off-licence premises in New Zealand rose 56 per cent and on-licence premises increased 33 per cent, a Drink SafeWorkshop in Queenstown was told yesterday.
Figures show 303 of the 14,617 licensed premises in New Zealand were in the Queenstown Lakes District, which includes Wanaka, Arrowtown, Frankton, Queenstown, Glenorchy and Kingston, the Otago Daily Times reports.
It has 220 on-licence premises, 70 off-licences and 13 club licences. With a population of 22,956, that means more than one licensed premises for every 75 residents -- the highest ratio in New Zealand.
The workshops in Queenstown and Wanaka, run by Invercargill police and the Queenstown Lakes District Council, provide free training for all bar, door, restaurant and off-licence staff and managers.
