Little new in Alac advice

Key Queenstown event operators say new guidelines from the Alcohol Advisory Council (Alac) for managing alcohol at large-scale events are already implemented for the most part.

Event managers were asked to comment on the "non-prescriptive" advice offered by Alac on Friday, which came after consultation with representatives from district licensing agencies, police, public health services and the security industry.

Recommendations included the use of plastic containers, rather than glass or cans and limiting the amount anyone can purchase at one time to two standard drinks, as well as promoting and having available non-alcoholic drinks, plus substantial food and free water.

Lakes Leisure events manager J. D. Marrable said the Queenstown Lakes District Council-controlled organisation had not experienced any alcohol-related incidents and employed professional security guards at the events it managed.

Major events such as the one-day international cricket match between New Zealand and Pakistan on January 26 next year involved extra security hired by sports authorities.

"We have free water here when we have something like the Super 14 on and we enforce a strict no-glass policy and we have a four-drinks-per-person limit," Mr Marrable said.

"You have to provide substantial food and free drinking water as part of your liquor licence and there's about eight taps by the main gate to the oval."

Simon Green, director of the 2010 Queenstown Winter Festival and event manager for the forthcoming ASB Queenstown Jazzfest said Alac's guidelines were already followed.

"We don't limit [drinks] to two per person, but it wouldn't be much of an issue if we had to change.

"The big thing with Winter Festival is the entertainment. The drink service is the attending offer, not the focus of the events we deliver."

Mr Green said the festival provided recyclable drinks containers, or containers made from recyclable plastics.

"You have to provide free water as part of your licence for special events. We also serve free bottles of water at our own cost as part of Jazz Night."

Alac environments and settings manager Andrew Galloway said the way alcohol was consumed at large events could send powerful messages about the acceptability of alcohol-related behaviour.

"Alcohol can be a part of event festivities, as long as it is managed well.

"We encourage managers to use the guidelines in their planning for events such as the Rugby World Cup festivities, as well as other large events that happen year round."

The guidelines are available on the Alac website.

 

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