The Wildfoods Festival co-ordinator and beer tent operators have accused liquor licensing officers of "heavy handedness".
Six Community and Public Health (CPH) staff from Greymouth, three employees from the Community Alcohol and Drugs Service in Ashburton, the Greymouth police liquor licensing sergeant, two Christchurch police liquor licensing officers
and the medical officer of health for the West Coast observed and videotaped partygoers being served in the Montieth's beer tent on Saturday. The officials were dressed in plain clothes.
Events co-ordinator Mike Keenan said he was concerned that the officials changed the agreed liquor policy on the day - without telling him or the volunteer beer tent staff from the Hokitika Golf Club - despite the policy having been written into a contract before the festival.
Around 3.30pm on Saturday, CPH and police instructed Allied Security personnel to slow punters' entry into the beer tent so bar staff could evaluate how drunk they were.
They also told bar staff to serve only two beers in each four cup tray from that time on, otherwise the tent would be shut down.
"Who was running the festival? There were too many people telling too many people what to do," Mr Keenan said.
"I spent at least an hour and a half monitoring the beer tent and I was very happy with the golf club's handling of the situation."
CPH health promoter and liquor licensing officer Jem Pupich said reducing glasses was a strategy used in other events to keep down intoxication levels.
No one was arrested for drunkenness.
Hokitika Golf Club member Allen Hurley was one of more than 100 club volunteers serving in the tent. He said the officials were "overbearing in their attitude".
"Everyone was guilty before they started drinking."
The club gave disposable trays that could contain four cups of beer a time so that one person could buy drinks for an average party of four and prevent patrons creating a bottleneck as they all waited to be served.
Mr Hurley said the monitors presumed a single patron was buying all four beers for him or herself.
"We were penalised through their interpretation of what the trays were for," Mr Hurley said.
- NZPA
