Ashburton police back booze ban expansion
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
It’s hoped banning booze from more of Ashburton will help reduce alcohol fuelled crime.
The Ashburton District Council is set to adopt an updated alcohol control bylaw, which extends existing liquor ban areas in Ashburton and Methven.
The intention of the bylaw is to stop people drinking in specific public areas, to reduce the potential for alcohol-related offensive behaviour and harm, damage, disorder, and crime.
Police are backing the move, saying “side loading”, aka leaving a licensed premises to drink alcohol somewhere in public nearby, is a big issue.
Acting Senior Sergeant Janine Bowden told councillors at the recent submission hearing it was a regular occurrence and she had seen evidence of both pre-and side loading through alcohol containers and bottles discarded outside and around licensed premises and in areas like car parks.
“Duty managers in licensed premises have obligations in relation to intoxication and managing that.
“When people go outside, they can also consume alcohol in an uncontrolled way and then go back into licensed premises.”
In response to feedback suggesting police were not enforcing the bans, Bowden said police were actively patrolling areas in “high risk times” in relation to intoxication and harm caused by excessive alcohol consumption.
The proposed liquor ban extension was a good fit with the police prevention model, she said.
“Obviously there is that enforcement arm of the police but it’s better to prevent something than enforce it.”
Bowden holds the role of alcohol harm reduction officer in Ashburton and said the bylaw provides police with a prevention tool.
“I don’t think anyone wants young people under 18 years of age in and around the public areas consuming alcohol.”
Meanwhile, councillor Richard Wilson raised concerns that there was too much room for interpretation in the bylaw and it could see people caught out with “booze in the boot”, such as when they had bought alcohol and were taking it home.
At the hearing he asked Bowden how police would enforce the bylaw when it came to the “extreme” of transporting cough medicine, defined as alcohol in the bylaw, through a liquor ban area.
Police will take a “sensible, pragmatic view” to enforcing the bylaw, she replied.
Under the Local Government Act there are a number of exemptions for the transportation of unopened bottles or containers of alcohol through alcohol ban areas, which include carrying alcohol bought from an off-license, and carrying alcohol to or from private residences.
The bylaw consultation had 28 submissions and the council deliberated on the feedback last week, with a final draft of the bylaw to come before council on May 17.
Three new sections added in Ashburton are:
1: River crossing retail precinct up to Kermode St, SH1 across to Cass St.
2: Ashburton Central Retail area, bordered by Cass St, Moore St, William St and Tancred St.
3: Countdown down to the Regent Cinema, the block of East St, Wills St, Peter St and Cass St.
In Methven the only addition is incorporating the full length of Mackie St and extending along Methven Chertsey Rd to make the boundary clearer to residents.
Here's Friday's Fizzler!
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Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
Do you think drivers should be required to take a quick driving theory test every 10 years?
Vote in the poll and share any road rules that you've seen bent! 😱
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48.3% Yes
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49.8% No
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2% Other - I'll share below
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
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