Octagon bar owners and Dunedin's district licensing authority have reached a compromise on a drinks promotion the DLA believed breached the Sale of Liquor Act.
The original "Octagon Alive" promotion offered patrons a discounted taxi ride home if they bought six drinks from six different lower Octagon bars between 7pm and 11pm on Thursdays.
The authorities said the promotion breached the Act by encouraging patrons to drink excessive amounts of alcohol, but promotion organiser, the Lower Octagon Licensed Forum, believed it complied and sought a legal opinion.
The promotion was allowed to run in its original form last week because it had already been advertised.
Forum spokesman John MacDonald said its lawyer's opinion was that it could argue its case with the authority, but it would be preferable to reach a compromise.
After forum representatives and the authority met yesterday, the promotion was changed so patrons could now get the discount after purchasing six drinks over any number of Thursday nights, instead of having to purchase all six drinks in one night.
Mr MacDonald said it was possible the forum should have consulted the authority before going ahead with the promotion, but it had not thought it was breaching the Act and its intention had never been to "load people up" with drinks, but to attract more people to the lower Octagon area. Advertising would be altered to reflect the changes to the promotion.
DLA licensing inspector Tony Mole said he had informed the other authorities, including police, Public Health South and the Alcohol Advisory Council, and all were happy with the compromise.
