Gisborne Votes To Lift CBD Alcohol Restrictions, Sparks Debate
Gisborne district councillors have voted to scrap restrictive alcohol rules in the CBD despite recent opposition during consultation.
The rules prevent new liquor licences near sensitive sites like marae and schools.
Councillors argued the change would create a more vibrant CBD, but some opposed linking alcohol to vibrancy.
Gisborne district councillors have voted to scrap restrictive alcohol rules within the town centre despite two-thirds of submissions opposing the move in recent consultation.
Those submitting against relaxing the rules noted the region's issues with alcohol-related harm, which they say disproportionately affect Māori, and sought to protect marae, schools and sensitive sites.
During a Sustainable Tairāwhiti meeting on Thursday, councillors acknowledged the region's 'dire' addiction problem, but did not believe lifting the restrictive rules would affect it.
Councillors said the 'sensitive sites' rules, implemented in 2018, had created 'unintended' consequences for hospitality.
The rules prevent new liquor licences – except for cafes, restaurants, and special licences – within 150m of sites such as marae, schools, spiritual facilities and recreational areas.
Councillors voted to remove the rules from the central business district (CBD) to enable a more 'vibrant' town centre.
Under this amendment, the District Licensing Committee will also be able to consider exemptions from the sensitive sites rules outside of the CBD, according to the council report.
Councillors Nick Tupara and Ani Pahuru-Huriwai voted against the move and questioned the reasoning of equating alcohol to vibrancy.
'I don't think there is enough discussion around what a vibrant CBD can look like without needing to bring alcohol into the conversation,' Pahuru-Huriwai said.
She said a point raised during submissions was that iwi partners wanted to be engaged in any conversations that took place around alcohol policies.
Tupara said many submitters against removing the rules were Māori and iwi, and that Māori had suffered from the consumption of alcohol since it arrived in the country.
It was 'totally wrong' that alcohol was 'the heartbeat of what makes our community', he said.
'This whole thing is a joke.'
This year, public consultation found two-thirds of 207 submissions voted in support of keeping the restrictions. However, early engagement in late 2024 had shown 82% of 62 submissions and 1067 votes disagreed with keeping the rules.
The option to maintain the restriction was endorsed by the Tri-Agencies - NZ Police, the National Public Health Service and the Chief Licensing Inspectorate - according to the council report.
Councillor Debbie Greggory said she was well-placed to talk on the issue, as she grew up with alcohol addiction in her home, and as 15 years sober, had 'lived the road to sobriety'.
'We have an addiction problem. We have a massive need for an addiction centre, but this is not something council can provide.'
Gregory said the Local Alcohol Policy (Sensitive Sites) Hearings last week exposed the region's 'gigantic problem' and she hoped the council could harness 'the energy and passion' heard from submitters to make the Government, especially the health sector, see their 'dire situation'.
The region needed to expand access to treatment services and address the issue's root causes - poverty, trauma and lack of opportunity, Gregory said.
She acknowledged the heightened emotion surrounding the proposed city establishment Anjuna Beer Garden, which did not open after an alcohol licence appeal from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hawaiki Hou, which is located a few doors away from the bar.
Councillor Aubrey Ria said she had 'lost sleep' over the council report detailing the recommended adoption of the sensitive sites policy to be removed.
She supported excluding the rules, but wanted to know if the council could offer the kura protection while it occupied its current location.
'Council planning allowed for the kura to go to its current position,' Ria said. 'I feel much aroha for them and the position that they are in.'
The kura had recently been granted Government funding for four new senior school classrooms and to move to a permanent site.
However, Mayor Rehette Stoltz said they did not know how long the transition could take and noted they needed to focus on the options that needed to be voted on that day.
'What if the school moves in three years?'
Stoltz said the lever for sensitive sites was not the lever that would address the alcohol harm issues in the region.
'We need a collaborative, health, mental health, Government approach.'
Councillor Rawinia Parata said the council's job was to govern what was best for the region, noting they were still going through a cyclone recovery period.
'For a long time, there has been significant underinvestment in our CBD [and] region ... it doesn't make sense to hold us back further.'
Parata said not only would they be holding the region's hospitality sector back by keeping the restrictions, they would also be holding rangatahi back.
'If we do not provide them with establishments and places to learn how to be outside, how to be in public, we're not setting them up for the world – and that's not good,' she said.
Parata said on-licences had rules that controlled drinking, unlike off-licences.
According to the report, in addition to the amendments to exclude the CBD from the sensitive sites rules, council-maintained cemeteries (urupā) would also be added as a sensitive site within the provisions.
A date for the amended policy to take effect is yet to be confirmed, but it will be in May or June.
The review of the Local Alcohol Policy 2024 is due to be completed by August 2030, as required by legislation.
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