Alcohol Ban

To encourage a safe and welcoming environment in our public places the Dunedin City Council has put in place the Alcohol (Control of Alcohol in Public Places) Bylaw which includes alcohol bans in certain areas.  These help to reduce the negative impacts that drinking alcohol has in public places.

Alcohol is banned in the Dunedin Central Business District as defined in the following map:

The alcohol ban is in place 24 hours per day, seven days per week.  The aim of the ban is to reduce alcohol-related crime and disorder in public places.

Occupants of motor vehicles consuming alcohol within the boundaries of the ban area are deemed to be in breach of the Bylaw.

Enforcing Alcohol Bans

The Police enforce the alcohol bans to help make our public places safer for the community.

The Police can issue a $250 fine:

• instantly
• after an arrest for breaching the alcohol ban
• by post, after the breach has occurred.

Exemptions to the Alcohol Ban

There are exemptions to the Alcohol (Control of Alcohol in Public Places) Bylaw:

• taking alcohol from a licensed premises so long as the alcohol is in an unopened bottle or other container, e.g., from an off-licence premises to a place outside the ban area, or to a residence in or adjacent to the ban area
• taking alcohol, in an unopened bottle, to a licensed BYO restaurant or removing unconsumed alcohol from those premises so long as the bottle has been resealed and not consumed in the ban area
• in a defined area covered by a special licence or as part of a designated outdoor area in front of a licensed premises.

Still didn't find what you were looking for?