Takapuna residents win booze ban

Jill Schroder has filmed alcohol-fuelled youths fighting, peeing and throwing bottles on Hurstmere Rd. Picture / Nick Reed

Takapuna Beach residents have won a bid for an all-hours ban on drinking liquor in streets, carparks and a playground in the town centre, after years of complaining about youths' drunken and rowdy behaviour.

The permanent ban in the town centre starts next Sunday in place of a 10pm-to-6am prohibition, which residents say failed to curb alcohol-fuelled disorder.

On the beach and foreshore is an extension of liquor ban hours - coming just in time for Guy Fawkes celebrations. The ban will start an hour earlier at 9pm and run an hour later to 7am.

The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board imposed the bans after a plea for stricter control was made by residents of the Mon Desir Apartments, a block that lies on a former hotel site between the beach and the North Shore's premier bar and restaurant strip, Hurstmere Rd.

Jill Schroder shot a video from her window of a Thursday night crowd to show youths "fighting, throwing cans, weeing on the footpath and a guy coming close to being run over by a taxi", for evidence to present at a hearing.

"There just seems to be a crowd, mostly 18- to 20-year-olds, who don't have a social awareness," she said. "They preload with alcohol before going to the bars from 9pm in summer."

On the beach and around the boat ramp, people drank long into the night - despite the present 10pm-to-6pm ban during summer. Signs about the ban were pushed over.

Residents said a 24/7 ban would hardly make Takapuna "dry" when the area had 150 places selling liquor.

Evan Jenkins told board members he lived in the "best apartment block in New Zealand" - the Takapuna Sands - and residents wanted to protect their environment.

Some owners had to install double-glazing at great cost to abate noise from bar patrons walking down to the beach at night over the summer.

Boundary fences were climbed, the tennis court and gates damaged and at Guy Fawkes, Christmas and New Year, residents cleaned up broken glass, cans, packaging and remnants of fireworks and bonfires.

Mr Jenkins said a longer ban would help police to move drinkers on to prevent trouble but it would not affect reasonable people.

"Although currently there is a beach/foreshore ban, most of the public who want a beer or glass of wine during a family lunch or barbecue have a drink anyway and do it responsibly."

Board chairman Joseph Bergin said it was grateful for residents coming up with enough evidence to keep bans at Takapuna, Castor Bay and Cheltenham, which had a history of riotous beach and Guy Fawkes parties, under-age drinking and resistance to police.

The review of the bans bylaw was necessary because of a change in the Local Government Act, which meant unsupported bans would lapse on October 31.

Takapuna Beach Business Association general manager Terry Holt said it supported a permanent ban in the town centre and did not expect its purpose would be weakened by people walking up from the beach after drinking there until 9pm in summer. "You should not be allowed into a bar if you are intoxicated.

"Bar owners and their security staff are aware of that, and also preloaders will run the risk of police monitoring them closely and enforcing the ban."

Auckland Hospitality Association general manager Nadine Melhopt said members supported the ban but it would not change how licensed premises operated.

At present, door staff tried to keep out drunken customers and moved people on but it was up to the police to enforce the ban on the street.