Mayors won’t restrict sugary drinks
Officials in Manawatu¯ and Rangitı¯kei won’t be restricting the sale or supply of sugary drinks at the facilities they own or events they run.
The two councils opted not to follow the Palmerston North City Council’s decision to ban sugarsweetened beverages, such as soft drinks and flavoured milks, at its libraries and community centres.
Members of the city council’s community development committee voted 8-6 for bringing in the policy on September 11, with the debate ranging from fears about freedom of choice to the council turning into the ‘‘sugar police’’.
However, Manawatu¯ mayor Helen Worboys and Rangitı¯kei mayor Andy Watson said they wouldn’t be implementing a similar rule.
The two councils were asked to discuss the proposal prior to a recent local government conference that had a remit for members to vote. It stated all councils should ’’consider the development of a sugar-sweetened beverages policy for their respective workplaces and facilities’’.
The remit was passed with 61 per cent of councils voting in favour.
Watson said he would like to have a discussion around it, however, unlike Palmerston North, Rangitı¯kei didn’t have any public facilities serving drinks.
While it owns the Marton Swim Centre facilities it is run under contract and drinks are not served at the council’s various information centres or i-Sites.
Worboys said councillors opted not to support the proposal, voting against the remit.
‘‘We didn’t want to be forced into creating a policy that would impact on all Manawatu¯ District Council facilities and would also extend to community events that [the council] supports or funds.’’
That would include facilities such as the Makino Aquatic Centre, which sells a range of soft drinks, energy drinks and juices, and the staff social club.
It would also affect events the council financially supports, such as the Feilding Living Christmas where a range of food and beverages are managed by several vendors.
Worboys thought the issue could be better managed using bylaws, if the council thought it necessary, rather than adopting a ‘‘blanket policy’’.
Meanwhile, in Palmerston North, contractors would be asked to get rid of them until contracts come up for negotiation.