Thumbs Up For Liquor Ban

Police are attributing an incident free New Year at Akitio beach and in Dannevirke CBD to liquor bans imposed by Tararua District Council two years ago.


Dannevirke Sergeant Earl Fincham said there had been a drop in the amount of empty bottles and broken glass in the CBD area and that the ban was working well.


The council, supported by police, banned alcohol on a permanent basis within and around the Dannevirke CBD after approaches by residents fed up with repeated incidences of bad behaviour and broken glass.


At Akitio this is the second summer that the ban - applied from Christmas Eve to the end of the first week in January - has been operating and already it was instilling a ‘culture’ of acceptance in the community said Troy Gerbich a regular beach house visitor.


He believed the alcohol ban was being “very effective,” emphasising that broken glass and “disrespect of the area” were the main factors behind the decision.


“It is not about spoiling other people’s fun but to ensure that the beach remains a safe place for everyone,” Mr Gerbich said.