Papakura rolls out new liquor bylaw

New signs mark areas where alcohol consumption illegal

Police welcome new enforcement tool

Drinking in public places banned

 

Papakura Police are preparing to enforce the district’s new ban on drinking alcohol in public places.

 

The Liquor Control in Public Places Bylaw 2008 was enacted earlier this year and signs advising of the new bylaw are now being installed in the parks, reserves and public parts of Papakura.

 

Each sign carries a map of the reserve or public place included in the liquor ban along with details of the bylaw and outlines the sections of the Local Government Act (242(4) and 239) under which the Council has the authority to enact the law.

 

The intention of the bylaw is to ensure the community is safe and can enjoy public places. It enables Police to address alcohol-fuelled misbehaviour in many areas of the district.

 

Passed into law after comprehensive public consultation, the new bylaw places restrictions on consumption of alcohol in the district’s public places. These include the town centre; all public car parks; the district’s halls; all the district’s major and neighbourhood parks and reserves, walking tracks and esplanade reserves.

 

People who break the law by consuming or possessing liquor in a specified public place may be liable for a fine of up to $20,000.

 

Council can grant special dispensations for particular areas or events in an area, and has also reserved the right to add areas to the list of those covered by the restriction.

 

The full wording of the bylaw is on the Papakura District Council’s web site www.papakura.govt.nz and it includes a comprehensive list of all the areas where liquor bans will now be enforced.

 

Police say they welcome the roll-out of the new bylaw and will be enforcing the liquor ban over coming months, starting in the later part of this week.