Police ready for revellers
Police in Queenstown and Wanaka are hoping for a peaceful start to 2019 despite expecting 100,000 visitors in the district over the next few weeks.
Senior Sergeant Paula Enoka said about 70 staff would be on the ground in Queenstown on New Year’s Eve and a similar number would be in the Wanaka area.
‘‘We know that the country comes to Queenstown Lakes to enjoy the summer and a fantastic New Year’s,’’ she said.
‘‘Police want to help them celebrate that safely. Expect to see us at check points. Expect to see us at offlicences and bars.’’
Enoka was hopeful New Year’s Eve revellers would be as well behaved as the 1800 people at this year’s Christmas Day ‘‘orphans’ party’’ at the lakeside in central Queenstown. Most were drinking but no arrests were made, she said.
Police sought a year-round liquor ban in Queenstown after last year’s party, but were turned down by the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
Enoka said officers took a different approach this year. ‘‘We rostered police specifically to work on Christmas Day to be away from their loved ones so that the Queenstown community could enjoy themselves safely.’’
The officers spent most of their time talking with revellers on the lakefront and reminding them liquor was banned in the area after 8pm.
‘‘It’s a good surprise when we don’t have to arrest anybody and bring them into our cells.’’
She was disappointed though that six people were caught drinkdriving between December 22 and 25. ‘‘This is the holiday season. [People need to] take a moment to think about their loved ones not coming home because of a silly decision to drink and drive.’’
Queenstown Lakes harbourmaster Marty Black, who was at the Christmas Day party, said people were well behaved. ‘‘They were drinking and having fun but the only issues we had were people in those Warehouse boats going out with no life jacket. I had to keep pushing them back into shore.’’
It was the quietest he had seen the region’s lakes and rivers over the Christmas period for many years, he said.
Even a new rule banning private boats on parts of the Upper Clutha river had not caused many problems. There had been four calls to rescue boats on Lake Wakatipu on Boxing Day: two had broken down, one was a yacht assisted by the Earnslaw, and one was a jet boat grounded on the Dart River.
‘‘The young guys had been pushing for about three hours and it was getting dark. They called us in desperation.’’
The biggest issue was reminding people on stand-up paddle boards that they also had to wear life jackets, Black said.
Meanwhile, the Queenstown Lakes District Council had an increased focus on rubbish collection after criticism about how much trash was left during last year’s Christmas party on Queenstown Bay.
More public litter bin collections, extra recycling bins and portaloos, and additional town custodians had been deployed across the district.
Additional free parking spaces were available until January 13 at Queenstown’s Warren Park, by the old high school on Gorge Rd, and at the Wanaka Showgrounds.
A 24-hour liquor ban is being enforced in central Queenstown, Frankton, Arrowtown, central Wanaka and Ha¯ wea until January 6. Anyone found drinking in a liquorban area can be fined $250.
‘We know that the country comes to Queenstown Lakes to enjoy the summer.’ Senior Sergeant Paula Enoka