If the council proposed to change its Waitaki Liquor Ban Bylaw 2009 to ban open liquor containers in moving and stationary vehicles in the district, the public would get a chance to have input through a special consultation process.
The possibility of such a ban was raised in submissions on a review of the council's 2003 liquor ban bylaw and subsequently considered by a special subcommittee set up to make recommendations to yesterday's council meeting.
The subcommittee, chaired by Cr Struan Munro, said banning "boozing and cruising" would have been such a substantive change to what was originally proposed in the review that the whole process of consultation would have to be repeated.
Instead, it suggested an amendment banning open liquor containers in vehicles be formulated early next year and the public consulted.
Policy adviser Ben Hopkins said work on that could start once the council passed its liquor ban bylaw yesterday.
The idea of a "booze cruise" ban was put forward in two submissions considered by the council last month.
One, from former Oamaru police sergeant Derek Beveridge, now involved with Project Turnaround and the volunteer Waitaki Guardians, suggested it would prevent tragic deaths.
The other issue the council had to grapple with yesterday was whether the 24-hour ban on consumption of liquor at the Oamaru Harbour, in existence since the 2003 bylaw, should continue.
Cr Peter Garvan was critical of that, and moved the liquor ban in the harbour and historic precinct bounded by the corner of Tyne and Itchen Sts be eased to between 8pm and 8am.
However, when put to the vote, it was tied 5-all.
Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton does not have a casting vote, the council not giving him that privilege at the start of the current triennial term.
Mr Familton put the amendment to one side, while the council adjourned for lunch until 1.15pm.
When the meeting resumed, Mr Familton declared the amendment lost because standing orders said if a vote was tied the "status quo", the 24-hour ban at the harbour, must remain.
Cr Garvan was not opposed to the 24-hour liquor ban in the Oamaru central business district, but said it was "using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut" at the harbour area.
Most petty crime occurred at night, and families or visitors should be able to have a wine or beer during the day at the harbour area.
"If people commit a crime they should pay the penalty, not ordinary people who want to have a wine there," he said, appealing for the council to "show common sense".
Cr Peter Twiss said the liquor ban had been put in place because the public had demanded something be done about crime and drunkenness.
Police statistics showed the ban had worked.
Further attempts by Crs Garvan and Jim Hopkins for a liquor ban between 8pm and 8am instead of 24 hours in a smaller area of the harbour also failed.
The council removed the ban where it applied to the water of the harbour, leaving it in place on the shore and structures such as wharves and roads.
It also allowed for applications to waive the ban for civic or public functions at the harbour.
One of the biggest changes in the new bylaw is to give communities, such as Omarama over Christmas-New Year, the power to request temporary liquor bans.
Omarama wants that this year.
The council approved extending the Oamaru central business liquor ban area and also extending it north and south along State Highway 1 to the town boundaries.
