Bid for temporary liquor ban gets the boot

A request to impose temporary liquor bans around McLean Park during Magpies home games has been declined by the Napier City Council Regulatory Committee.

The ban would have run from 1pm-11.30pm on August 23 and 31, September 21 and 29, and October 10 this year to coincide with five Magpies ITM Cup home games.

Although it was effective during last year's Rugby World Cup, the committee said the Magpies home games weren't comparable.

Councillor Bill Dalton said there was a "creeping killjoy altitude to these sorts of things" and wouldn't support it without sufficient background information.

Deputy Mayor Kathie Furlong said many people didn't have the time to cause trouble during the games.

"I cannot imagine there is going to be an issue with people hovering around drinking alcohol out of the boots of their cars," she said. "You're only there for 90 minutes, it's not like a one day cricket international."

Although declined by the regulatory committee, council staff, chairman Rob Lutter and mayor Barbara Arnott would be meeting with police to discuss the request before the next council meeting to see if there was a case for it to be reconsidered.