Debate fierce on alcohol at family holiday events

Christmas in the Park in Tauranga will be a test case for liquor restrictions

Mount Maunganui's Christmas in the Park has emerged as a test case for whether alcohol should be permitted at family events.

Police opposition to Bay of Plenty Brewery's application for a liquor licence at the December 20 event met with resistance and concessions from brewery spokesman Glenn Meikle and event organiser Rachelle Duffy.

Alcohol has been served in segregated areas since the event began in 2011 without any reports of trouble. But the explosion in popularity last year, when it shifted to Blake Park and drew a crowd of 25,000, led to the bar area becoming crammed with people because it also held 90 per cent of the food stalls.

Organisers have responded to the congestion by substantially increasing the size of the venue and the area where liquor can be consumed, and shifting half of the food stalls out of the bar area.

Meetings with the police before yesterday's Tauranga District Licensing Committee hearing saw organisers agree to reduce the bar's opening hours by one hour. It will be open from 5pm to 8pm.

However, police remained opposed to alcohol being served at an event with such a strong family focus. Alcohol harm-reduction and liquor-licensing co-ordinator Sergeant Nigel McGlone said most who attended the event were under 19.

He said police questioned the need to have alcohol available at events such as Christmas in the Park when so much was heard about the damage alcohol was doing to the community.

Arguments advanced by Mr McGlone and council licensing inspector Graeme Cushing also highlighted the alcohol-harm provisions of recent changes to liquor laws.

Committee member Mary Dillon questioned whether alcohol should be there at all or take a prominent position in front of the stage. She asked Mr McGlone what conditions he would like to see imposed if the application was granted.

He responded that the liquor area should be moved from the main entertainment area.

This led to Bay of Plenty hospitality regional manager Alan Sciascia, who supported the application, making a last-minute concession. With Mrs Duffy's agreement, he proposed shifting the stage so it was fully in front of the unlicensed area.

Mr Meikle highlighted the importance of the event to his boutique brewery business and said that even with last year's crowd of 25,000 people, he only sold six kegs of beer, the equivalent of one drink for every 20 adults.

The committee will deliver its decision early next week.