Council approves permanent alcohol bans for Merivale and Papanui to apply seven nights a week

The Christchurch City Council today approved permanent alcohol bans in public places for both Merivale and Papanui.

These permanent alcohol bans will apply seven nights a week from 6pm to 6am and will come into effect on 9 September 2012.

Currently, there are temporary alcohol bans in place for Merivale and Papanui on four nights of the week only, from 6pm to 6am on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The Council panel, which heard submissions on the proposal for permanent bans, agreed with several submissions which called for widening the scope of the bans. The panel noted that the Riccarton-Ilam alcohol ban applied “24 /7” and that such bans were easier to understand and to enforce.

Christchurch City Council Programme Manager Alan Bywater says the permanent bans and new ban days will be notified widely and the signage in both Merivale and Papanui will updated before the bans come into force on 9 September.

“We will undertake a campaign to ensure that both residents and visitors to the area are well aware of the new scope of the bans,” Mr Bywater says.

The hearings panel also recommended that the Council undertake an additional piece of work to impose temporary liquor bans on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Cup Day and St Patrick’s Day in each of those areas which have alcohol bans not currently covering those days and times.

The hearings panel’s report to Council can be found here.