Parents ‘booze it up’ as kids play sport
Anti-social behaviour in South Waikato parks has prompted an early review of the district’s Public Places Bylaw.
The South Waikato District Council has agreed to bring forward a review of the bylaw in light of the large quantities of nitrous oxide canisters, balloons, bags of vomit, and alcohol bottles being left on council grounds and car parks after sport events and functions.
Nitrous oxide canisters, which contain laughing gas commonly used in cream whipping devices, have been banned for recreational use under the Medicines Act since 2005, however they can legally be sold for food industry use.
Although the council’s Public Places Bylaw 2017 states ‘‘except with the authority of a permit, no person shall on any public place; consume, inject or inhale or distribute or offer for sale any mindaltering substance’’, it only explicitly identifies central business district areas and graveyards between 7pm and 8am as prohibited areas.
But with issues becoming more apparent at Lake Moananui, Cougar Park, Collsons Hill, Dunhams Park, Leith Place and the Tokoroa Memorial Sportsground, councillors will now deliberate on whether further restrictions are needed.
Assets group manager Ted Anderson said anti-social behaviour was not uncommon.
‘‘It’s something that occurs more frequently than I report on it. I don’t like putting our community in a bad light but sometimes we just need to raise the profile,’’ he said. ‘‘What is interesting is some of that is associated with young sports occurring so whilst the youngsters are playing sport, the parents are boozing it up on the sidelines.’’
Councillor Thomas Lee said it was becoming difficult for officials to control.
‘‘People smoke their drugs and people drink at kids events and the officials try to move them out of the way,’’ he said.
Lee said police needed to step up and sort the situation out.
Councillor Hamish Daine, who instigated the early review, said further restrictions made sense.
‘‘There is an expectation that as a council space we provide a safe, family friendly environment and by saying that we accept alcohol and drugs on there is actually going against what we are trying to deliver on and our vision,’’ he said.
Senior Sergeant Murray Hamilton said for police to address the issue they need to be made aware. ‘‘We are getting told about it after the fact. If people can tell us when it is happening, we can pop along and do something about it,’’ he said.