Last month the Central Otago licensing committee declined the Alexandra Blossom Festival a special liquor licence.
District licensing committee members Lyal Cocks (chairman), John Mann, and Russell Anderson heard submissions from the blossom festival, New Zealand Police, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora and Jamie Hughes, who had been engaged by the festival to manage compliance with its licence in past years.
There were no objections to the licence being granted from the police, the Ministry of Health or the Central Otago District Council’s licensing inspector.
The question debated was whether an "umbrella" licence held by the blossom festival committee was preferable to each alcohol vendor having its own. The committee questioned whether the umbrella licence actually met the requirements of the law.
Mr McPherson said last year he was told by council staff an umbrella licence would not be issued so each vendor had to get their own.
The Clyde Wine and Food Festival operates with individual licences.
Health New Zealand compliance office Alannah Smyth said she attended the festival as part of her role.
The problem she found was people buying alcohol from a vendor in the generic festival glass and then walking around. If someone was found intoxicated there was no way of knowing who had sold them alcohol.
When the blossom festival held an overarching licence it was easy to have any issues addressed, she said,
Mr Hughes said the festival was a cruisy day for him. He brought three staff with him, which was more than he would usually have for an event that size.
His staff would liaise with each vendor’s duty manager and make sure customers stayed in the designated area.
Mr McPherson reiterated the festival was not about alcohol and had always been designed around a family day out.
People came into the park, got lunch and a beer or wine and sat at the tables to watch the entertainment.
Alcohol was secondary to the crowning of the festival prince or princess, the floats and the entertainers.
A suggestion from Mr Cocks that each vendor have a picket fence around their spot to contain their customers was not welcomed by Mr McPherson.
"If individual people have to stay like penned sheep until they have finished that drink it will completely change the atmosphere."
Mr Cocks said he appreciated the time constraints and would have a decision in 10-15 days.
