A Queenstown pub crawl operator has slated the lack of evidence behind a proposed bylaw seeking to regulate the activity.
A submission by Big Night Out Promotions to a Queenstown Lakes District Council hearings panel yesterday said the proposed regulation was the result of a ''flawed and defective consultation process'' that attempted to predetermine the outcome.
The council's Nuisance Bylaw 2016 seeks to regulate commercial group tours of licensed premises through permit conditions.
Big Night Out's submission, presented by co-director Dexter Devlin, said the proposed regulation was the result of lobbying by council departments with ''historical prejudice and hostility'' towards the activity.
Council claims that informal consultation had raised concerns about operators' ''lack of control'' of their tours was not backed up by the feedback it had received.
Although participants travelled over public footpaths and streets, the tours took place in private licensed premises. There was no ''direct, verifiable evidence'' they caused a public nuisance.
The submission said that after meetings between operators and council and district licensing authority representatives in 2012, operators had asked to be consulted if any further concerns arose.
The council's failure to do so demonstrated ''bad faith''.
Of the 22 submitters to speak at the hearing, 18 were opposed to the proposed regulation.
Speaking in support were representatives of the police, Ministry of Health, Wanaka Alcohol Group, Downtown QT and district alcohol licensing.
Almost all the 544 submitters on the bylaw addressed the pub crawl issue, with 98% opposed to regulating the activity.
