Waitaki Preparing for Undie 500

Undie 500 car rally participants are undeterred by Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin telling them they are not welcome in the city, and are scheduled to pass through Waitaki this Friday as part of the event.

 

Waitaki community safety officer, Alison Banks, says Oamaru Police and the Waitaki District Council are making preparations for the arrival of the students, who will leave Christchurch in their under $500 cars at 12.30pm.

 

“The students will be passing through Waitaki whether we like it or not, so rather than bury our heads in the sand, we’re being proactive”.

 

“We will be warning students to respect Waitaki and its residents, abide by our liquor ban and litter bylaws. We’re also asking local businesses and licensed premises to be prepared by having extra staff, security and litter facilities available”, Mrs Banks said.

 

Acting Senior Sergeant Tony Woodbridge, of Oamaru Police, has requested extra police from outside the district to help ensure there are no breaches of peace, disorderly behaviour or driving offences.

 

“History shows that by the time these students reach Oamaru they are intoxicated, with the exception of the driver. With the support of extra police staff, all licensed premises will be monitored”.

 

Staff and managers were being reminded of the Sale of Liquor Act 1989, through which premises selling or serving alcohol to intoxicated people could expect a fine of up to $10,000, a suspension of their license for up to seven days, or both.

 

Mrs Banks said the Waitaki Guardians would also be out force on Friday evening to monitor the streets of Oamaru, act as a deterrent to bad behaviour, and support students and local residents, if needed.

 

Students Against Driving Drunk will be supporting a police check point and will be handing out vehicle litter bags, information on the Waitaki District Council’s Liquor Ban Bylaw, a map of the liquor ban area, and other supporting information.

 

“They also hope to have a mini-skip at the check point so that the Undie 500 students can dispose of litter rather than leaving it on the side of the road or on our streets,” Mrs Banks said.

 

Undie 500 events of previous years, including last year’s unofficial rally, have resulted in a large number of arrests and alcohol-fuelled disorder in the North Dunedin student area.

 

Organisers of the rally, the University of Canterbury Engineering Society (Ensoc), asked Oamaru to host the rally as part of a wider “student event” last year but were flatly refused by the town’s community leaders due to concerns over students’ behaviour and emergency services’ capacity to deal with large numbers.

 

Ensoc said this year it was planning to crack down on people who were found breaching the liquor bans or bylaws, or misbehaving in any way. This included banning them from bars when they returned to Christchurch.

 

They had also scheduled the event later than usual to avoid the University's mid-semester break, which they believed encouraged drunken behaviour.

 

 

For further information please contact:

Alison Banks

Waitaki Community Safety Officer

Waitaki District Council

03 434 5284

021 307 747