Alcohol-free zones
Alcohol-free zones are created to encourage responsible alcohol consumption, enhance the safety of the public, and allow everyone to enjoy Kāpiti’s public places.
What are alcohol-free zones?
There are a number of alcohol-free zones (also known as liquor bans) in the Kāpiti Coast District. These are areas where you may not have, or consume, alcohol at certain times (in some cases, at any time).
These have been created to encourage responsible alcohol consumption, enhance the safety of the public, and allow everyone to enjoy Kāpiti’s public places. This is part of our community-wide strategy to reduce alcohol-related crime and harm.
Council adopted the Control of Alcohol in Public Places Bylaw 2018 on 6 December 2018, which establishes the following alcohol-free zones.
It is an offence to consume or possess liquor:
| at these times... | at any... | in... |
| 9pm to 6am (overnight) | beaches | the Kāpiti Coast District |
| 9pm to 6am (overnight) | public places | urban areas from Paekākāriki to Te Horo |
| 24-hours, every day of the year | skate park | the Kāpiti Coast District |
| 24-hours, every day of the year | specified areas | Ōtaki. |
Exceptions
It is an offence to consume or possess liquor in alcohol-free zones, unless you:
- are consuming the liquor at a premises that is licensed under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 (ie, a clearly defined licensed area, including tables and chairs on the footpath)
- have purchased the unopened liquor from a licensed premises, and are transporting it promptly through the public place to a private property
- have been granted a waiver or dispensation in writing from a Council Officer.
What is a public place?
Public places include roads, footpaths, reserves, parks, beaches and sports grounds that are under Council control.
This means that during the specified times you can’t drink alcohol:
- on the footpath (even if you’re outside a party at a private property)
- in a vehicle parked in a public place
- any other public place during the specified times.
If you’ve purchased alcohol, you can walk through a public place with it as long as your alcohol remains unopened, and is stored in a bag while you walk through the public place.
Events in public places
If an event in a public place has a special licence, then you can drink alcohol at that event. If it is an unlicensed event, the area the event is in has the same rules as any other public place in the alcohol-free zone (that is, you are not allowed to consume alcohol there during the alcohol-free hours).
Enforcement
While the Kāpiti Coast District Council establishes the zones in the bylaw, the New Zealand Police manage enforcement.
The bylaw allows the Police to intervene when alcohol is being consumed in public places, which helps reduce alcohol-related harm in our community.
Only Police can enforce the rules. However, the public can help by calling 111 if you see people drinking in a public place during the restricted hours who are being disorderly and/or harming themselves or other people/property.
Police use their discretion depending on the situation, but can:
- give a warning
- seize any alcohol (opened or unopened)
- search any container (including a bag, box, parcel or vehicle)
- issue an infringement
- take any other appropriate action.