Liquor Controls in Place for Christmas and New Year

When you are outdoors celebrating the Christmas and New Year season, be aware of the liquor bans that are in place.

“We have seasonal bans at Oakura and Urenui beaches and in Pukekura Park and some coastal reserves, and permanent bans in and around New Plymouth’s CBD,” says Manager Customer and Regulatory Services Simon Pickford.

“These bans are in place to ensure that everyone can enjoy these popular public areas, particularly at this time of year when there will be a lot of people out celebrating Christmas and New Year.”

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.

The liquor ban from Mt Bryan through to the East End and Fitzroy beach reserves runs from 1 November to 1 April each year, between 9pm and 7am each day from Thursday evening to Sunday morning.

In Pukekura Park, liquor is allowed only within the areas immediately around the Hatchery Lawn and Fred Parker Lawn during this year’s TSB Bank Festival of Lights’ On Stage entertainment. No alcohol may be consumed in other areas of the park during the festival.

On Christmas Eve, all bars are required to be closed by midnight unless they have a special licence. Several bars 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 commencing in the early morning), with all other bars closing by 3am.

Mr 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.