Fourteen Queenstown operators, representing 35 venues, have partnered with Hospitality New Zealand, Queenstown council’s alcohol licensing arm and Health NZ, to work collectively on strategies to minimise alcohol-related harm, and support community wellbeing and a thriving hospo sector.
Queenstown police were not able to attend the first meeting this month but are seen as key partners in the initiative.
Hospo operators include Republic Hospitality, Future Hospitality Group, Remarkable Hospitality, Wolf Hospitality Group, Wai Group, Captains, and CBD bottle stores.
The last formal Queenstown Alcohol Accord was established about 2015 — at that time it was a grouping of about 31 bars, covering virtually all the resort’s drinking holes.
Republic chief executive Blair Impey, who has been appointed chairman of the new accord, said they all faced similar challenges in hospitality, "so instead of working through them alone, the accord provides a great platform to share ideas, support each other and find solutions together".
Some of those issues were "capacity challenges" for police, who often needed assistance from security staff, and included an increase in the consumption of illegal drugs and a lack of policing; Queenstown’s council’s restricting of events; and outdoor dining challenges.
Of the latter, Mr Impey said that was a good symptom of the problem.
Last year, the council dramatically hiked al fresco dining fees as part of its new "outdoor dining in public places" policy, facing huge backlash from the sector which claimed the consultation process was not transparent.
While the council initially advised businesses of increases to use public spaces for outdoor dining in 2019, that was put on ice due to Covid.
Consultation was opened earlier last year — but associated fees were not shared till it was finalised.
"The council didn’t genuinely consult or understand what was going on, yet ploughed on," Mr Impey said.
He said now there were examples where, under council rules, venues had to have al fresco diners inside by 10pm, leaving areas dark and potentially dangerous, while police were supportive of some of them being able to have outdoor punters till midnight.
"If common sense could prevail, that could open up al fresco dining for more places, make the nightlife better and reduce the darker streets where the troubles can happen," Mr Impey said.
"Those are some of the things that are [being] discussed, but if all parties are there listening and acting from that, then we should be able to iron out some of these things."
The accord is open to any Queenstown hospitality operator to join.
