Liquor Controls in Place for Christmas and New Year

The festive atmosphere is getting a helping hand with liquor controls coming for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Liquor bans will be in place at Oakura and Urenui beaches for New Year’s Eve, while New Plymouth’s CBD liquor ban – including the areas around Marsland Hill and the Taranaki Cathedral grounds – is in force 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

On Christmas Eve, the doors of all bars and liquor outlets will close at midnight.

Three premises in New Plymouth’s CBD have a special licence to stay open until 4am on New Year’s Day (although operating a one-way door policy from 2am), with all others closing at 3am.

Manager Customer and Regulatory Services Simon Pickford says the New Year’s Eve liquor bans at Oakura and Urenui beaches are intended to make these popular gathering points safe for people of all ages.

“Just like last year we’ll have checkpoints for alcohol to stop any being brought into the beach areas during the ban,” he says.

The liquor ban at Oakura Beach will start at 2pm on New Year’s Eve and end at 2am on New Year’s Day. Urenui Beach’s ban starts earlier at 6am on New Year’s Eve, ending at 6am New Year’s Day.

Checkpoints for alcohol will be on Wairau Road and Messenger Terrace in Oakura, and at the boat wash in Urenui.

In addition, Pukekura Park allows liquor only within the areas immediately around the Hatchery Lawn and Boat Shed Lawn during the TSB Bank Festival of Lights stage entertainment. No alcohol may be consumed in other areas of the park during the festival.