Alcohol Control Bylaw

The council believes that the Alcohol Control Bylaw should continue without amendment for the following reasons:

• To address public safety – alcohol bans in public places can enhance public safety by reducing the likelihood of public intoxication, violence, and accidents caused by alcohol impairment
• To support the council’s community outcome of ‘Communities that are healthy, safe, connected and sustainable’
• To target problem areas – the bylaw applies alcohol bans in alcohol control areas where and when a high level of alcohol-related crime and disorder is known to have taken place in the past
• To prevent problems escalating – the bylaw enables the Police to act early to prevent alcohol-related problems escalating in public places
• A quick and instant tool for the police – the bylaw gives the Police enforcement powers that are more instant and less time-consuming to apply than other options such as charging offenders under the Summary Offences Act 1981
• A discretionary tool – Police have discretion to ignore the consumption of alcohol in public places if this is peaceful and orderly. If they decide to act, they can match their response to the seriousness of the situation, from issuing a warning at one end of the scale to arresting offenders at the other end
• Continuing the bylaw is strongly supported by the Police and Te Whatu Ora (Ngā Tai Ora – Public Health Northland)