Media release

Total Contrast between Two Major Cities on 24 Hour Licensing

July 11. 2008

North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams says the latest comments by the Mayor of Auckland City John Banks on 24 hour bar licensing highlight the distinct contrast between the standards set by Auckland City and North Shore City.

"I do not agree with Mayor Banks that it is desirable to have 24 hour licensing of bars, and that in some way this supposedly makes for a "world class city". Drunken youths coupled with violence and lawlessness on the streets of the Auckland City CBD at 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning are not my idea of creating a world class destination." says Mayor Williams.

"North Shore, the fourth largest city in New Zealand with 220,000 people, sets much higher standards than this" Mayor Williams states "with our district plan permitting bars to open until midnight, and then having additional resource consents for bars to operate until 1am in some town centres such as Takapuna, and until 3am in other areas of the North Shore such as the Albany Centre. In addition some "1am bars" have consents during the year for a number of extra 3am opening nights, usually for special occasions such as New Year or other celebrations."

"We do not want an all night drinking culture on the Shore, which is regarded as one of New Zealand's leading lifestyle cities. North Shore has the lowest crime rate of all the major metro cities in New Zealand, in total contrast to Auckland City with the highest crime rate." says Mayor Williams.

"Why is it that on one side of the harbour bridge we can have much less crime than the other side of the bridge? Why is it that we have the highest overall standard of living in the Auckland region, confirmed by the 2007 Quality of Life report which gave North Shore City a glowing report across the board?" asks the North Shore Mayor. "It is because we set higher standards and we strive at all times to make North Shore City a safe and healthy environment for our citizens. 24 hour bars do not fit within these North Shore standards.

"This also raises real concerns for many North Shore residents when contronted with suggestions of a super-city being considered by the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance." says Mayor Williams. " We certainly want to play an increased lead role in developing the Auckland Region, particularly with transport and other important strategic infrastructure, but we do not want a "bar" of the standards being set by Auckland City in relation to all night unruliness. People being intoxicated, fighting, vomiting, and urinating on our streets in the wee hours near dawn are not world class in anyone's book."

ENDS

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