Liquor bans for Greerton and Papamoa commercial precincts are to be pushed through before the opportunity is closed out by changes in liquor laws that come into effect in December.
Tauranga City Council decided to act following pleas this week from Greerton businesses who say drunks are urinating and vomiting in public places in several areas around the village during the daytime.
Greerton is set to become a liquor free zone.
Greerton Mainstreet presented a report and letters, accompanied by a 140 signature petition requesting a liquor ban to the council's Projects and Monitoring Committee on Monday, which was taken up by Councillor Terry Molloy at the Strategy and Policy Committee on Tuesday.
The Greerton Village School complained of drunken people sleeping in school grounds, having sex in the cloak bays, vomiting in school grounds and throwing rubbish around.
A letter from Geerton Police confirms an increase in alcohol related offending.
'Greerton Village does need urgent attention,” says Terry. 'I believe it is a special case.”
Councillors agreed with him, and decided to include Papamoa, where businesses around Palm Beach Plaza and Fashion Island are also complaining about alcohol related behaviour.
The two business communities are being bundled together because council has to undertake the required public consultation and get the bylaw passed before the Alcohol Reform Act comes into effect on December 18.
Council staff will immediately begin consultation with both communities to learn the extent and nature of the liquor ban required for each precinct, as that will smooth the public consultation exercise.
Mayor Stuart Crosby cautioned the liquor bans may simply move the problem, referring to how the central city liquor ban simply shifted the drunks up to The Domain.
'If it moves we will fix it again” says Terry.
Councillor Larry Baldock says the bans will at least give police the ability to act. Under the Alcohol Reform Bill, there is no provision for police to simply arrest people for drunkenness.
Imposing liquor bans under the Alcohol Reform Bill will be more evidential, says Larry.
Larry says in five years' time when the liquor ban will need to be revisited there will need to be evidence of alcohol related crime under the new regulations.
He says there may be issues in proving there is a high level of disorder or crime in places like Mount Maunganui as there is already an existing liquor ban.
5 comments
Well done!
Posted on 13-03-2013 10:04 | By Steve Morris
Good work TCC, Responsible drinkers are not affected. No good can come from walking around shopping centres drinking liquor.
Just goes to show,
Posted on 13-03-2013 11:21 | By Sambo
how out of touch Mr Crosby is, I would be quite happy if the problem had been shifted to the Domain, but no its the Rose Gardens, Redoubt, Dive Crescent area that is still the problem, and always has been, even when the Police Station was active, go figure!!!!!, and Mr Malloy, why is Greerton a special case?, I am all for the use of Community Police, Maori Wardens, anything to stop citizens being intimidated, and threatened by a minority who CHOOSE to live on the streets, now try ringing the Police call centre, and answering all the questions, are they drinking? (Duh why do you think I am ringing), what are they wearing?, what age are they?, by the time you have given a discription, they have moved on, and then maybe sometime later a police vehicle will cruise by, and where is the problem???, so unless the Council, Police, and the community gets serious with this issue, and stops playing lip service, nothing will change.
Seems sensible
Posted on 13-03-2013 11:52 | By Phailed
This move to discourage drunks is applaudable. But now the police have the laws they want, they will need to act. If it isn't policed then forget it because it won't work. I much prefer laws that target actual offenders rather than silly things like restricting the number of liquor outlets which achieve nothing. The unfortunate side effect of liquor bans in some other places is that responsible people can't have say a glass of wine with their evening picnic.
yay TCC
Posted on 13-03-2013 12:43 | By lpm67
But still not enough...perhaps its time to ensure the pubs close at a reasonable time to cut back on the nighttime occurances too! You expect the morons in the inner CBD but perhaps its time to respect that decent working people need to be able to sleep at night without worrying about people leaving their brown deposits in your yard overnight!
Not
Posted on 14-03-2013 20:15 | By Capt_Kaveman
far enough no open drinking should be allowed anywhere apart from the home and or bars no where else
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