The headline on Monday's BOP Times suggests the Strand is a war-zone. In fact, there were 13 arrests between 1.50am and 3.40am, mainly for disorderly behaviour, fighting and breaches of the liquor ban. Local Police say the situation is not worsening, but remains an on-going issue.
Meanwhile behind the scenes, the Police, Council and licensees are working on the Strand Night Management Plan to achieve consensus on how to best address these matters. Various proposals have been introduced including the 24/7 liquor ban areas; improving the lighting; CCTV; fencing-off outdoor licensed areas; closing the reclamation car park from 10.30pm; and now a year-long trial creating a clearly defined pedestrian footpath along the length of the Strand.
The Strand redevelopment created wide paved areas with large sun shades for alfresco dining and entertaining. For the vast majority of patrons, the Strand provides a very pleasant cafe-style day-time and evening venue, and if numbers are anything to go by, there is a thriving 'night-life' despite the alarmist headlines. The issue has always been after midnight when these outdoor areas become vertical drinking spaces, and there is opportunity for confrontation between patrons and passers-by. This coupled with the increasingly frequent behaviour of pre-loading (ie drinking to the point of intoxication then coming into the CBD) means that by closing time at 3.00am, there are intoxicated people dispersing through the immediate environment, looking for taxis, looking for food, and in some cases looking for trouble.
For the Council and Police the issues are complicated: how do you mitigate the undersirable behaviour while not infringing on the rights of the public to enjoy a night out, and the licensees to operate their businesses. Already some licensees are complaining that the proposed walkway may force some premises to close. I find this argument hard to accept. It is not acceptable to allow/perpetuate unsafe drinking environments solely on the basis of profitability. Licensees have complained about the uncontrolled pedestrian traffic that passes 'through' their establishments, but requested that the proposed footpath be re-routed around the road edge. This would necessitate the removal of concrete outdoor furniture (est $150,000) and the placing of pedestrians in proximity to the road. The Council instead chose to place the walkway more directly through the centre.
There is no simple solution to the business of late night drinking and its associated harms. The issues being experienced with the Strand are challenging local authorities and Police in a number of centres throughout New Zealand. While the debate about the management of alcohol in our society reverberates through the Law Commission Review, at a local level we need to keep the doors of communication open to all parties: Police, Council, licensees, and the general public over how we manage alcohol in our city.
No comments:
Post a Comment