Patrons at this month’s Rhythm & Alps festival can still buy four drinks at a time, and the organisers are confident they can deliver a "safe and enjoyable" event.
In its decision yesterday on the festival’s alcohol licence, the Queenstown Lakes district licensing committee backed the organiser’s "proven track record", dismissing submissions by police and Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand (HNZ) seeking to restrict the availability of alcohol at the event as largely "conjecture".
The organisers have voluntarily trimmed the event’s licensing hours.
About 10,000 partygoers and more than 6000 campers are expected to attend the annual New Year’s Eve music and camping festival on December 29-31, at Cardrona.
"We support actions to minimise harm, but there was no evidence provided to confirm a two-serve limit will achieve a reduction in harm."
They found the bar operating hours to be appropriate after organiser Alex Turnbull voluntarily reduced them by two hours on December 30 and 31.
Controls aimed at minimising alcohol harm should be "balanced with the pleasure many people derive from the consumption of alcohol", and festival patrons needed to be given the opportunity to take responsibility for their actions, the committee said.
The event had measures to prevent alcohol harm, including the presence of 16 food vendors, free water, shaded areas, alcohol-free options, a wellbeing space and medical services.
The committee added a condition to the licence requiring the duty manager to hold hourly meetings with the police or liquor licensing inspector throughout the event, and follow any directives relating to the sale and supply of alcohol.
Police national co-ordinator of alcohol harm prevention Acting Senior Sergeant Ian Paulin told the committee at last week’s hearing the festival had a good record, but its management plans would not sufficiently mitigate an "underbelly of harm" caused by alcohol, the party drug ecstasy, and the typical 18- to 25-year-old age of patrons.
However, Mr Turnbull told the committee there had been only "six or seven" arrests due to intoxication in the festival’s 12-year history at the site.
In an emailed statement yesterday, Mr Turnbull said he and his team were "confident in delivering a safe and enjoyable experience" for the festival’s patrons.
He acknowledged the efforts of the police and licensing authorities, "recognising the pressure they face in addressing alcohol harm reduction".
Wānaka Senior Sergeant Chris Brooks said he was not disappointed by the decision.
"Having the opportunity for the agencies to give their views on what they’re seeing in their communities is very important, and the hearing gave us an opportunity to do that."
Police were not trying to stop people having a good time, "just trying to stop people getting hurt", Snr Sgt Brooks said.
