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Waikato District Council has made some changes to alcohol ban areas, following public consultation earlier this year.
The council has extended the alcohol ban areas in six towns across Waikato.
In Tuakau, the area has been extended to include the town centre and key roads, except the ban area on Escotts Road, which has been removed. In nearby Pokeno, the ban area now includes the town centre and industrial areas, while in Te Kauwhata, the new Lakeside Development area is now included. Other towns with extended areas include Huntly, Raglan, and Taupiri.
The Alcohol Control Bylaw 2020 contains rules for managing alcohol related harm, crime, and disorder in the Waikato district. It outlines where and when people can drink alcohol in public places. The bylaw has been in place since 2020 and, under Section 158 of the Local Government Act 2002, council must review the bylaw no later than five years after it is adopted.
Waikato District Council regulatory services manager, Rochelle Deane, says that when reviewing the bylaw, staff looked at data provided by New Zealand Police to understand the frequency and types of alcohol-related incidents that had occurred across our district over a five-year period.
Police enforce this bylaw and during this period responded to 722 incidents. Raglan, Huntly, and Tuakau had the highest number of alcohol-related incidents reported to police.
“The bylaw is a preventative tool used by NZ Police to respond to alcohol-related anti-social behaviour and council worked closely with NZ Police to understand areas of concern.”
From October 30 to December 8, the council surveyed the community to get feedback about alcohol ban areas across the district. There were 126 survey responses.
Public consultation in May and June on the proposed changes to the bylaw saw 56 submissions, with eight submitters speaking at the council hearing on July 29.
“At deliberations, the Policy and Regulatory Committee discussed all of the proposed changes and indicated that they do not wish to be overly restrictive on people’s ability to consume alcohol sensibly and are aiming to strike a balance where our communities feel safe,” says Deane.
Changes to the Alcohol Control Bylaw 2020 were adopted on August 18.
The new bylaw, along with maps, will be available online from September 3.
A list of changes can be found here: www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/news/article/2025/08/28/changes-to-alcohol-ban-areas
