All bars in the Queenstown Lakes district will close by 4am
from Wednesday, more than two years after the policy was
adopted by the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
The policy, adopted by the council in May 2007 to help reduce
crime, made 4am the blanket closing time district-wide.
The policy was to be enforced when existing 24-hour licences
came up for renewal.
Queenstown's Bardeaux bar at Eureka Arcade is the last bar to
hold a 24-hour licence.
Its on-licence renewal application was adjourned at a Liquor
Licencing Authority hearing in Queenstown this week.
Lawyer Jim Castiglione said the company needed more time to
obtain expert evidence which would prove blanket closing
times did not reduce alcohol-related crime.
He had not received council evidence in time to prepare his
case and applied to the authority for an adjournment.
Sergeant Keith Newell said the hearing was adjourned until
the next authority hearing in Queenstown early next year.
However, he said the company agreed to begin closing at 4am
from Wednesday pending the hearing.
"That is the last bar in line now after two years in the
making.
"It's an even playing field now," he said.
Bardeaux is part of the Good Group bars.
Good Group chief executive Russell Gray said the company had
agreed to pull back Bardeaux's closing time from 5am until
the hearing early next year.
He said the loss of one hour's trading would make
"negligible" difference to the group, which was continuing
the fight for 24-hour licences.
Other Good Group bars are challenging the Queenstown Lakes
District Council's blanket 4am closing time in the Court of
Appeal.
My Noodle Ltd (Sky Bar), Central Otago Breweries Ltd (Harrys
Pool Bar), Chuck Norris Ltd (Minibar) and Barmuda Ltd were
the named appellants against the council's restriction of
24-hour trading for licensed premises at a one-day hearing in
Wellington last month.
A verdict is due next month.
Mr Gray said the fight against 4am closing was not a
"money-grabbing exercise".
"It's about principle.
"We believe we should have the right to choose our operating
hours.
"We have resource consent and a licence for 24-hour trading,"
he said.
None of the bars in the group had opened for 24 hours but
they wanted the ability to choose when they could open to
satisfy market demand.
"For example, the All Blacks are playing at 3.30am on Sunday.
"Harrys is a sports bar so we'd like people to go there and
watch the game."
The bars found it difficult to obtain special licences
available for events beyond 4am.
"It is made extremely difficult with a lot of hoops and
obstacles to overcome."
