New Alcohol Control Bylaw includes Mangawhai

 

Kaipara District Council has adopted the new Alcohol Control Bylaw, after considering feedback from more than 26 submissions received in the public consultation held over September 2018.

The new bylaw takes effect from 19 December 2018 and replaces the existing Public Places Liquor Control Bylaw 2009. 

The work was undertaken in conjunction with the Northland Police from both the Mangawhai and Dargaville areas. 

“Northland Police have been working closely with the three Northland district councils to review our alcohol control bylaws in each of the three districts,” said Senior Sergeant Acting Development Manager (Northland), John Fagan. “This was a great way to get consistency across the whole of Northland around the way we administer and enforce alcohol within our public spaces. By having these alcohol control bylaws in place for certain areas where historically anti-social behaviour has occurred, it will allow police to intervene early and prevent more serious offending later. This is about allowing everyone in Northland to be able to enjoy our public places.”

The new bylaw adopted includes schools in Dargaville, and Te Kopuru to be permanent alcohol ban areas, and created a new control area in Tinopai from 8.30pm to 7am all year round. 

There was also the introduction of a 24/7 Christmas and New Year ban from 22 December to 13 January throughout Mangawhai (this includes beaches, reserves and any other public places). Outside of these times, for the rest of the year, it reverts to the current 8.30pm to 7am control time. 

The Alcohol Control Bylaw contains a schedule with maps showing the areas of the town centre bans as well as the Christmas/New Year bans.

The bylaw also allows for exceptions within an alcohol control area for events and special occasions providing flexibility in the management and policing of the bylaw. The bylaw gives the police the power to enforce the bans. If someone is drinking or has alcohol in a public place when an alcohol ban is in force, police are able to request that they stop, they can dispose of the alcohol, impose a fine and take further action if necessary.

If you have just bought alcohol and are carrying it in a public place, unopened, to enjoy it at home or another private place or to a BYO restaurant, for example, the alcohol ban does not apply – as long as it is promptly removed from the public place.