Selwyn Times: March 14, 2017

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
Tuesday March 14 2017 3
News
Early pub closing confirmed
• By Tom Doudney
A MANDATORY closing time
of 2am for Selwyn’s taverns will
come into force from July 31 –
but most publicans say they’re
not fazed.
The Local Alcohol Policy
was approved at Wednesday’s
district council meeting after
almost four years of negotiation
and dispute.
The policy will come into
effect on April 24, with the
provisions on trading hours for
licensed premises on July 31.
Taverns will be forced to close
at 2am – later than the 1am
time which had been proposed
in an earlier version of the
policy, but earlier than the 3am
time that several are currently
allowed to stay open until.
Darfield Hotel owner Ray
O’Connell said having to close
at 2am would not have much
impact on his business.
“To move from 3am to 2am is
not a big drama,” he said.
“It’s probably only busy two
or three times a year for us during
that period so we can live
without it.”
However, Prebbleton Tavern
manager Shannon Gilmore
wasn’t happy about the change.
Mr Gilmore said he didn’t
believe reducing his operating
hours by one hour would have
much impact on reducing
alcohol-related harm.
“In a country community
environment, [being able to stay
open until 3am] is extremely
handy for events and functions
and to have to now go and get
a special licence for one hour
seems to be a bit bureaucratic
and is only going to increase
costs,” he said.
He believed people who
bought their alcohol from the
supermarket and drank at home
were a more significant contributor
to alcohol-related harm
than people drinking at pubs.
But other tavern owners who
spoke to the Selwyn Times said
they didn’t mind the 2am closing
time.
Dunsandel Tavern owner
Karen Stone said her licence
was already for a 2am closing
DISAPPOINTED:
Prebbleton Tavern
manager Shannon
Gilmore is not
happy about his
current closing
time being
reduced by an
hour. However,
other Selwyn
publicans said
they weren’t
concerned
about the new
closing time.
PHOTO: FRASER
WALKER-PEARCE ​
time and the policy did not
bother her.
“Honestly, I think by 2am
people have had enough [of
drinking]. In the city it might
be different,” she said.
Her business included a cafe
and restaurant so she was not
reliant on people drinking in
the tavern for her income.
•District councillor fires
back at medical officer of
health, page 7
In Brief
FIRE RESTRICTIONS
Fire restrictions have been reduced
in Selwyn’s rural plains area, with
the district moving from a prohibited
to a restricted fire season.
Principal rural fire officer Douglas
Marshall said recent rain had
helped reduce the fire risk. Under
a restricted fire season, only gas
barbecues, crop residue and rubbish
fires inside contained drums are allowed
in rural areas. Any other fires
can only be lit if a permit has been
obtained from the district council.
CAR CRASH VICTIM DIES
A woman has died after a crash
between two cars on State Highway
73, near Lake Pearson, on Sunday.
Police were alerted to the crash at
5pm. The woman had been trapped
in her vehicle and was transported
to Christchurch Hospital
by helicopter but didn’t survive her
injuries. Three other people received
injuries in the crash but none were
life-threatening.
CAR SEATS
The district council is partnering
with SeatSmart to offer a recycling
programme for expired or damaged
car seats. Selwyn parents can take
their unwanted car seats to the
Pines Resource Recovery Park for
a discounted charge of $5. Until
June, the district council is offering
a collection point at Rolleston and
subsidising the processing cost.
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