VIDEO - Lake Ngātu users welcome alcohol ban

Far North District Council has approved new and updated alcohol ban areas, following a review that found alcohol-related harm continues to affect many public spaces used by local communities.

The changes include two new alcohol ban areas at Lake Ngātu and Waitangi, along with updates to existing alcohol ban areas in Kaitāia, Kerikeri, Waipapa, Paihia and Kaikohe. The revised boundaries better reflect locations where alcohol-related disorder and crime have been identified through police data and community feedback.

Alcohol ban areas are public places where people cannot consume, bring into, or possess alcohol during the times the ban applies. Most alcohol ban areas in the Far North operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year. The bans are enforced by New Zealand Police under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act.

Kate Ivicheva, Group Manager Planning and Policy at the Council says, "The updated alcohol ban areas are intended to support safer spaces so whānau can enjoy public places with greater confidence."

In a 2025 public survey, 63 per cent of respondents said they had seen people drinking alcohol in public places during the previous two to three years. Of those respondents, 60 per cent had witnessed disorderly or criminal behaviour relating to drinking in public, including littering, excessive noise, violence or aggression, and people vomiting or urinating in public. Police also recorded 483 alcohol-related incidents in public places across the district in 2024, excluding traffic offences.

Lake Ngātu was identified during the review as an area experiencing ongoing issues linked to public drinking. Community members reported broken glass, litter, fires, abusive behaviour and other unsafe activity affecting people using the lake for recreation. The lake is regularly used by local schools, waka ama clubs and swimmers. Broken glass had become a frequent hazard around the lake, creating safety concerns for tamariki, coaches and other users, with some injuries requiring hospital treatment.

Lake Ngātu has now been declared an alcohol ban area with signage installed to clearly identify the ban and support safe use of the reserve.

Elsewhere, new and revised alcohol ban locations have been introduced to respond to local patterns of alcohol-related harm. Kaitāia recorded the highest number of police-reported alcohol-related incidents in public places during 2024, while changes in Kerikeri, Paihia, Waitangi and Kaikohe reflect locations where police and community feedback identified recurring issues associated with public drinking. In Waipapa, the new Te Puāwaitanga – Bay of Islands Sports Hub has been included as a precautionary measure to help maintain a safe environment for people using the facility.

Maps of the new and updated locations are available at this link: Far North Alcohol Control Areas

In the video below, local resident, Katene Ericksen, explains how drinking and anti-social behaviour had been impacting visitors and regular users of Lake Ngātu.