• Liquor shop owner, policeman say store handled party-goers well
The annual Hyde St keg party, an all-day drinking party in the North Dunedin student-populated street, was held on Saturday attracting about 5000 revellers.
Some ended up being injured and damaging property after they climbed on to roofs, and there was criticism that some were dangerously drunk.
OUSA president Logan Edgar said the $7442 the association spent on assistants, the Are you OK Team, security guards, portaloos, safety barriers, food, first aid, traffic management and advertising for the keg party was money "very well spent".
The University of Otago contributed some food and the cost of a skip and the clean-up, while Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull contributed some sausages, and ACC was expected to make a contribution to the first-aid costs.
"It was about assisting the students to run an event and minimise risk as much as possible. We believe we were successful in this, and would like to improve the way in which the event is run in future," Mr Edgar said.
Asked how the OUSA would deal with people drinking too much at any future Hyde St keg party, Mr Edgar said binge drinking was a national concern and not something the association could fight on its own.
"We already promote safe drinking at our events, and our fantastic Orientation was a prime example of this. We also provide alcohol-free events and they receive positive attendance as well, which shows that people want diversity in their lives, not just want to over-indulge at every opportunity.
"We are working with the authorities, Hyde St residents and the university to consider what could work in those areas and stopping people on the roofs so that we have a comprehensive plan for 2013."
A liquor ban would antagonise students and cause worse public disorder and individual alcohol-related harm, he said.
"[A liquor ban] may suit the breast-beating, simplistic, macho bullet-heads in our society. In our view, all the alternatives to working with students to build a community approach that buys into a harm-minimisation strategy are worse."
The council has received 14 submissions on its extended liquor ban proposal, which will now be heard by a committee.
Dunedin Clutha area commander Inspector Greg Sparrow was unsure how many of the 18 people arrested on Saturday were students, but said any students would be referred to the proctor.
He was also unclear how many were released with a pre-charge warning.
Otago property investors association president Grant Roydhouse said comments from people this week that landlords charged about $20 per room per week extra for flats on Hyde St, so had no right to complain about damage or parties in the street, were unwarranted.
Landlords in Hyde St and Castle St did charge extra for rent, because of demand as well as the fact they expected their properties were going to get damaged during the year. But that was no reason to treat other people's property with "absolute disrespect", he said.
