Pub crawl permits from November

Simon Stamers-Smith.
Simon Stamers-Smith.
Operators of "pub crawls" in Queenstown will need a permit from November, despite the move being labelled "bureaucracy gone mad".

That was Queenstown Lakes District councillor Simon Stamers-Smith’s description of the Activities in Public Places Bylaw when it was approved at the council’s meeting on Thursday.

Several Queenstown pub crawl operators spoke at the meeting’s public forum to criticise the process used by  council officers to  devise the regulation.

The bylaw will regulate "commercial group tours of licensed premises" through permit conditions that come into force on November 30.

Although the tours take place in private licensed premises, tour participants travel over public footpaths and streets.

The regulation is backed by the police, Ministry of Health, Wanaka Alcohol Group, Downtown QT and district alcohol licensing.

The permit conditions will be reviewed in 12 months’ time.

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