A 2am closing time for central Tauranga bars will help reduce violent assaults and alcohol-related injuries from clogging up strained emergency departments, a doctor says.
But bar owners say it is better to have people supervised in bars than to push them out on to the street — and the 2am proposal will hurt CBD hospitality.
These were among submitters' views at Monday's Strategy, Finance and Risk Committee meeting to discuss the draft Local Alcohol Policy, which was released for public consultation in November 2021.
The proposed policy would institute a closing time of 2am for all bars in Tauranga central and a "one-way door" policy from 1am, meaning that if someone leaves the bar after that time, they cannot come back in.
Toi Te Ora Public Health house officer, Dr David Bassett, who was a submitter, told the committee studies had "clearly shown" that reducing hours of bars/pubs reduced the number of violent assaults and injuries in an area.
He said alcohol was a "causative factor" in many of the injuries he sees as a doctor.
Bassett told the Bay of Plenty Times after the meeting that alcohol-related harm affects the community as a whole, not just those who drink.
"Increased pressure on emergency departments and operating theatres caused by alcohol-related injuries can cause delays in the treatment of other unwell patients at a time where Omicron is already putting the hospital under significant strain.
"I have seen the burden of alcohol-related injuries fall disproportionately on the under-resourced and marginalised members of our community."
Ashleigh Gee, owner of Miss Gee's, said in the meeting, reducing bars' opening hours would only send people to house parties where drinking was not monitored by trained professionals.
"Is the goal here not to get people off the street and into safe environments?
"We are trying to rejuvenate the CBD, and the current approach only works in the opposite direction."
She said the draft policy needed to amended, "otherwise we're saying goodbye to a lot of our hospitality venues in the CBD."
She told the Bay of Plenty Times after the meeting she thought the meeting had been "super positive".
"It was really cool to ... start the conversation."
"If we are looking to move and build our CBD, we kind of need to be starting the chat now between these groups."
She hoped the proposed changes to the LAP could be "put on hold until we get the chance to meet as a group".
"The current LAP we've got is failing all of us."
Waikato/Bay of Plenty Cancer Society health promotion coordinator Kate Mason said in the meeting their organisation supported the proposed LAP.
She said alcohol was a group one carcinogen, the same category as tobacco, which meant there was no safe level of consumption in terms of cancer risk.
She said this was "not commonly known", and urged the committee to think about reducing the hours of off-licenses as well.
She told the Bay of Plenty Times after the meeting the policy would help "de-normalise alcohol use" by creating "less exposure to people heavily drinking in the CBD".
She hoped the council would recognise that it had a role in "reducing alcohol-related poor health outcomes".
Jessica Mackenzie, owner of the Crown and Badger pub, told the committee the proposed policy would "essentially shut down the entire night time, and you'll be just stuck with dinner".
She said the proposed civic precinct development needed to be supported by a thriving nightlife.
"After viewing a show there [in the precinct], where is that person going to go? Home?"
"We need to be nurturing our nighttime economy, not stifling it."
Tauranga resident Susan Hodkinson spoke at the meeting in favour of the policy.
She said the noise from bar patrons was disruptive near her home.
"If I had my way, it [closing time] would be 12, because they're very noisy on the way home," she said.
"1am is loud enough."
Isaac Jakobs, another city resident submitter, took the opposite view.
He was concerned about "very young businesses ... struggling to stay afloat".
"I feel that cutting the hours back may force a lot of those businesses to close."
The final speakers were Sergeant Dan Roser and Inspector Zane Smith from the Western Bay of Plenty Police.
Roser said he didn't understand "the argument that it's going to kill an industry – we have exemplar at the Mount, those businesses are thriving".
"I would like to see Tauranga become vibrant and have a great nightlife and entertainment precinct like the Mount."
Smith told the Bay of Plenty Times after the meeting that "while most operators of licensed premises are doing so safely and responsibly, the reality is that there is still an issue with alcohol-related incidents in the early hours of the morning".
"Reducing alcohol-related harm will help to reduce crime and family harm episodes, and help us to achieve safer roads and communities."
At the end of the meeting, Commissioner Stephen Selwood said that he didn't see a "compelling case" that "the [current] LAP is actually making much difference."
"I didn't find a compelling case for a change in the hours today."
Western Bay of Plenty District could have fewer councillors to vote for next election.