Woolston Village will now be under a 24-hour a day alcohol ban for the next six months. Photo / CCC
Woolston Village will now be under a 24-hour a day alcohol ban for the next six months. Photo / CCC
Christchurch City Council’s banning of alcohol in Woolston Village came only days after a series of further drinking incidents, as disorder runs rife in the suburb.
The council agreed in its meeting on Wednesday it would ban the consumption of alcohol in the village for the next six months.
It will now be an offence to have or consume alcohol in public places where the ban applies, with police able to issue fines to anyone caught breaching the bylaw.
The temporary ban, which came into effect yesterday, applies to the streets around Woolston Village on Ferry Road, and to nearby Radley Park.
It was pushed in a petition signed by 173 residents over the negative impacts drinking was having on the area.
It was pushed in a petition signed by 173 residents over the negative impacts drinking was having on the area. Photo / Supplied
Community board chair Paul McMahon had previously talked about people sitting on street furniture and drinking, with offenders leering at women and scaring off school children.
Following the announcement of the ban, McMahon confirmed as recently as Wednesday groups of men were sitting on the street drinking 750ml bottles of beer.
The group had been disrupting the public and behaving in an anti-social manner, McMahon said.
On other recent occasions, another man had become known for buying a box of branded beer and drinking until he passed out on the street.
“[The ban] is a great win for the Woolston community, who have wanted an alcohol ban in the village for several years.”
McMahon believes the ban isn’t the solution, but part of the work to improve the safety for village residents.
He called it “a welcome Christmas present” for local businesses and residents.
A Woolston pharmacist, who didn’t want to be named, said there was often litter, graffiti and vandalism in the village.
“We have been robbed three times since 2011, once at knifepoint,” they said.
It will now be an offence to have or consume alcohol in public places where the ban applies. Photo / Nicola Topping
While the ban is in effect from now, McMahon believes it will take a while for people to learn the rules for police to enforce the changes.
“I would hope over the summer we’ll notice a difference, hopefully by Waitangi Day we’ll have a sense of whether it worked or not.”
Christchurch Mayor, Phil Mauger called the ban “a positive move” that had strong support from the community, the Police, council’s alcohol licensing team and Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand.
Mauger said residents have clearly felt unsafe and that begging, abuse, littering and threats in the area were being exacerbated by alcohol.
