KEY POINTS:
The Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC) has applauded the Queenstown Lakes District Council's decision to can 24-hour liquor licensing.
Bars in the resort will be required to close at 4am at the latest, while restaurants may stay open no later than 2am under the revised liquor licensing policy.
"The council is to be congratulated for its courage and vision," said ALAC Deputy Chief Executive Officer Sandra Kirby. "Changing an existing policy in the face of a huge number of individual submissions that wanted to retain the status quo shows a commitment by council to reducing alcohol-related harm and support the community's concerns over the level of violence in the city."
Ms Kirby said local police data showed the level of violence. Police recorded 1209 offenders across Queenstown in the year to October 31, 2006. Of these, 662, more than half, involved offenders affected by alcohol. Of those affected by alcohol, 54 per cent had their last drink at a licensed premises.
When looking at total offences, 64 per cent were alcohol-related. Levels of offending typically picked up from 11pm on Friday and Saturday night peaking round 2am the following morning and slowing from 4am.
This local data was backed up by considerable international research on the negative impact of extended opening hours on levels of alcohol-related harms.
Ms Kirby said some local bar owners argued that a restriction in opening hours would hurt Queenstown as a tourist venue.
"I would suggest that alcohol-fuelled anti social behaviour such as street fights, urinating in public and offensive language was more of a deterrent to tourists than the fact that the bars were not open for business 24/7."
- NZ HERALD STAFF
