An alcohol ban in public spaces within the Wānaka CBD will be reinstated and extended during this year’s Christmas period despite opposition from some Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) councillors.

All but two councillors voted in favour of reinstating and extending the ban from 8am December 24, although no evidence was presented to support the inclusion of Wānaka for the extra days - as required under the Local Government Act (LGA).

Police first approached QLDC in 2020 to request the restriction of alcohol in the Queenstown and Wānaka CBDs around Christmas and councillors eventually approved them for the third year in a row at yesterday’s (Thursday November 17) full council meeting.

Queenstown police sergeant Chris Brooks said the ban had been a “key tool” for the police, who had dealt with large crowds and dangerous behaviour in Queenstown over Christmas pre-2020. 

However, the councillors who voted against it, Niki Gladding and Lyal Cocks, said daytime Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day in Wānaka were not the same as in busy Queenstown and a ban during the day did not meet the requirements in the LGA, which demands evidence of ‘a high level of crime or disorder’.

QLDC regulatory manager Anthony Hall confirmed the council had no evidence for Christmas crime or disorder in the Wānaka CBD but said the ban over the past two years made it “hard to measure”.

Alcohol is already banned year-round in Wānaka’s CBD at night from 8pm-8am; and an additional ban (which runs 24 hours a day from December 27 - January 6) was included in the local bylaw. The police want to extend that 24 hour ban this year to begin from 8am December 24.

The ban should not be imposed as a pre-emptive measure, Lyal said. 

But deputy mayor Quentin Smith said the idea of not approving the extended ban to include Wānaka this year was “just unacceptable”.

“I think it’s extraordinary that we are debating this,” he said. “The police have asked for it. We should be supporting the police.” 

Nikki said the LGA requirements meant she could not vote in favour of including Wānaka in the ban.

Councillors approved the alcohol ban for both CBDs between December 24 and 26 with just Lyal and Nikki opposing.

PHOTO: Wānaka App