Alcohol Control Bylaw 2023

Council passed a resolution to adopt the Alcohol Control Bylaw on Tuesday 19 September 2023.

Seven submissions in support of this Bylaw were received by Council and no submitters requested to be heard at the meeting.

You can find a copy of the Alcohol Control Bylaw on the right hand side of this page under documents.

Background

Our Alcohol Control Bylaw covers the whole district but is only in effect in Kāwhia.

Following a very troubled New Years Eve on 1 January 2007 which saw drunken brawling in the streets of Kāwhia, assaults on Police, property damage and the murder of a young man, Ōtorohanga District Council introduced an Alcohol (Liquor) Control Bylaw which prohibited the consumption and procession of alcoholic drinks in all public places and reserves on the Kāwhia peninsula.

Following public consultation, the Alcohol (Liquor) Control Bylaw 2007 (the Bylaw) was adopted by Council on 9 October 2007.

In 2012 Council commenced a mandatory five year review required for new bylaws. There was initial support for extending the period that the Bylaw would be in force to make it a permanent year-round restriction. However, following strong feedback received from the Kāwhia Community and public consultation the ban was only extended by a month to conclude after Waitangi Day. The bylaw period now runs from Christmas Eve through to the day after Waitangi Day or the following Tuesday if Waitangi Day falls on a weekend.