The Star: April 04, 2019

The Star Thursday April 4 2019
• By Sophie Cornish
A BOOZE ban on the sidelines
at rugby league games this
season is a step closer.
A temporary alcohol ban has
been proposed during games
and training at 20 parks used
by Canterbury Rugby League
after three assaults last season as
well as several incidents where
spectators and match officials
were verbally abused.
Yesterday, a city council
committee unanimously voted
in support of the draft bylaw. It
will now go to the city council
for a decision to be made.
CRL chief executive Duane
Fyfe said the decision was “a
positive step for our endeavours
to improve sideline behaviour.”
“This will enable our clubs
to be able to control sideline
behaviour from members of the
public that arise with alcohol.
It will potentially reduce the
amount of sideline abuse
towards players and match
officials. This will help our clubs
to ensure we promote a familyfriendly
environment, which is
what they want to do,” Mr Fyfe
said.
If approved, the alcohol ban
will be imposed at 20 parks,
including changing sheds, car
parks and playgrounds during
the league season from March 1
to September 30.
The bans would apply only
during the time that games
and training are taking place.
The maximum period the ban
would apply would be from 3pm
to 8pm, Monday to Friday, for
training and from 9am to 6pm,
Saturday and Sunday.
City councillor and regulatory
performance committee
chairman Jamie Gough said it
was a “very logical decision.”
He said the issue wasn’t about
news online at www.star.kiwi
League ground booze ban closer
the “fun police being out in
force.”
“If people want to enjoy a beer
in a sporting environment, then
they are most certainly welcome
to do this at the pub, at home or
in the clubrooms.”
He said it is unclear whether
the ban may extend to other
sports.
“The regulatory framework
in local government is quite
conservative and risk-adverse
by nature. So you can’t just put
bans in place . . . you would have
to have good cause and good
reason to.”
​In a submission to the
city council, CRL capability
and game manager
George Lajpold​ said 70 per
cent of clubs were dealing
with alcohol-related behaviour
on the sideline, which was
happening both at a junior and
senior level.
NEWS 7
No link
between
robberies
• By Sophie Cornish
POLICE SAY there is nothing to
suggest there is a link between four
aggravated robberies in the city.
On March 27, two men armed
with a knife and hammer stole
money from Burger King on Marshland
Rd, Shirley, and on Saturday,
three men armed with a metal pole
stole money from Countdown at
Northlands Shopping Centre. At
3.50am on Monday, a man believed
to be carrying a weapon, stole
money from Z Carlton Corner on
Papanui Rd, Merivale.
Later that day at 1pm, three
people entered Paper Tree in Tower
Junction with several weapons,
including a knife, and stole money.
Detective Senior Sergeant Mark
Worner said there is nothing to suggest
the robberies were linked.
“The only thing similar about
these incidents is that they are aggravated
robberies . . . our investigation
is continuing to see whether or
not they are linked but at this stage
we are very open-minded on that,”
he said.
No serious injuries were caused in
the robberies, but a security guard
at Countdown sustained minor
injuries, after being hit with a metal
pole similar to a crowbar.
Soft plastics go
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Any plastic you can scrunch
in your hand is a soft plastic
Don’t leave it until
it’s too late to get your
home’s earthquake
repairs checked.
Find out why at ccc.govt.nz/softplastic
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