Local agencies are urging parents to help ensure their children have a safe New Year’s period.

Queenstown Lakes District Council, NZ Police, Hato Hone St John and harm prevention organisation Red Frogs have teamed up to share safety messaging ahead of the busy holiday break.

Queenstown Lakes District mayor Glyn Lewers said while he wanted visitors and locals to enjoy New Year’s, it should be done safely and respectfully - and supplying alcohol to minors was “a red line”.

Each year huge numbers of visitors travel to Wānaka for the Christmas and New Year’s period and many congregate on the lakefront on New Year’s Eve for the community celebrations.

The agencies said they want to ensure the young people attending New Year’s Eve events - and spending time in Wānaka around that period - have parental supervision and, crucially, aren’t supplied with alcohol.

“We see it every year and our job is to minimise that,” Wānaka Police Senior Sergeant Fiona (Fi) Roberts said.

Parents also needed “to be on the same page with us” when it came to supplying alcohol to minors and it is something police would be “hitting hard”.

“We’ll be enforcing it. We make no apologies for that,” Fi said.

Queenstown Lakes District Council, NZ Police, Hato Hone St John and harm prevention organisation Red Frogs have teamed up to encourage safe New Year’s behaviour. PHOTO: Wānaka App

“In the past we have taken prosecution action against a parent/caregiver for supplying alcohol to a minor,” she said. “This was a direct consequence of the state that we found their child.”

She also encouraged parents to attend the community events with their children or teens.

Red Frogs national director Ray Thomson said the agencies want young people “to have a fun time - and we want them to have a safe time as well”.

The organisation will have volunteers around the Wānaka CBD from December 29-January 1, offering free pancakes, water and a chill-out zone to encourage safe behaviour.

Ray said while Red Frogs liked looking after young people “you [parents] also have a role and responsibility”.

He had four ‘top tips’ for parents: Have open conversations with your teens about their plans; remind them to stay with their friends; leave no young person behind; and “tell your teens to visit Red Frogs”.