Ms Brown made the suggestion during discussion over whether the facility should be ‘‘smokefree''.
In a submission, WellSouth Primary Health Network said being smokefree would ‘‘send a positive message that our children and young people's health ... should be protected from the effects of smoking.''
That discussion brought no dissent and ended with board member Brian Lloyd moving the board recommend to the Queenstown Lakes District Council the facility be smokefree.
However, Ms Brown's suggestion of applying a similar ban on alcohol for similar reasons brought a different response.
Ms Brown said the Wanaka Alcohol Group, which she also chairs, believed the goal should be to make such community facilities alcohol-free.‘‘We need to start showing some leadership,'' Ms Brown said.
‘‘We need to keep on pushing with other things, not just smoking.''
Board member Lyal Cocks reminded Ms Brown the facility would be used for a wide variety of purposes.
The first non-sporting event after it opens in July next year will be a national Rotary conference. ‘‘Are you saying we have no wine with dinner?'' Mr Cocks asked.
Board member Ella Lawton also noted an alcohol ban would affect the facility's economics.
Ms Brown said of the idea she was just ‘‘putting it out there'' and it had not been on the board's agenda for discussion.‘‘This is absolutely my own personal idea,'' she said.
During a break in the meeting, she told the Otago Daily Times that 30 years ago the idea of a facility being smokefree would have received a similar response to her suggestion on alcohol.
