Time called for drinkers on popular Shore beaches

Permanent liquor bans are coming to quell drunken and disorderly behaviour at the North Shore's most popular east coast beaches.

But the North Shore City Council is considering overnight bans rather than those that apply around the clock seven days a week at some troublespots of Manukau and Auckland cities.

North Shore's move follows public consultation that attracted 80 submissions, 78 of which agreed with a ban in specific locations.

One of those against pleaded: "Don't let a few hoons remove my right to have a glass of wine at the beach."

The other said the ban should be on bad behaviour rather than liquor.

Booze bans will include all beach and foreshore reserve areas and adjoining carparks in the East Coast Bays, Takapuna, Devonport and Birkenhead community board areas, and council-owned pay-carparks and park-and-ride bus stations.

The bans will apply from 10pm to 6am during daylight-saving and 9pm to 6am for the rest of the year.

Most public submissions favoured this timing, though one favoured a 6pm start.

The council will tomorrow consider delaying a ban on town centres until it has a permit system for licensed restaurants with outdoor dining tables.

Its environmental health team says spreading the ban to inland parks and reserves could come later.

That ignores a call from the North Shore police for a 24-hour ban to deal with liquor problems arising in daylight hours at the Long Bay Regional Park.

Auckland has just reviewed its ban at beach spots, the CBD and some town centres.

It has decided not to extend the ban to new areas, despite strong pressure from police and residents.

The council is chasing hard evidence of how effective the bans are but senior social policy planner Kathy Hood reports that, overall, feedback showed the bans "had a degree of success".

One drawback was that the prohibitions were shifting drinkers to public areas without bans.

Manukau City Council policy analyst Paul Wilson said the ban since last year seemed to work best in areas with a lot of drinkers, such as the Papatoetoe town centre.

Counties-Manukau police have enforced the liquor ban bylaws. Police figures for March to October show 150 prosecutions for liquor ban offences, with an 86 per cent conviction rate.

Fines ranged from $50 to $400 but most were $200.