Masterton District Council has a set of rules that control alcohol in public places - this is called the Alcohol Control Bylaw: Ture ā-Rohe Whakahaere Waipiro. The Police are responsible for enforcing the bylaw.
The bylaw does things like create alcohol-free zones at the park and the beach to make sure our community feel safe to enjoy our public spaces.
We think the bylaw is generally working well but we're proposing a few changes that you can read about below. If you have ideas or comments, read the Statement of Proposal and complete your feedback before Wednesday 25 March.
Consultation closes Wednesday 25 March 2026.
Tā tātou tono │Our Proposal
We think the bylaw could be improved to make sure it's easy to understand and meets the needs of our community for the future.
| What we propose | Reason for Proposal |
|---|---|
| Update the Bylaw to outline the general provisions and processes relating to alcohol-free zones (section 4 of the Proposed Bylaw). | This provides clearer guidance on how alcohol-free zones are established, varied, or revoked, to improve transparency and ensure the Bylaw is easy to understand and apply. |
| Move the actual alcohol restrictions to schedules attached to the body of the Bylaw. | The Council will more easily be able to update or amend alcohol-free zones over the life of the Bylaw (10 years) in response to emerging issues. This approach is consistent with how several other Councils approach alcohol-free zones. |
| Remove the ‘Council Permission’ section, and make changes
to clarify that the Bylaw:
| To remove ambiguity about how the Bylaw interacts with alcohol licensing processes and to ensure a consistent, transparent approach when considering exemptions for events. |
| Add new alcohol-free zones at two coastal settlements at Labour Weekend and on New Year’s Eve. | To address periodic high-risk behaviour and alcohol-related harm during peak visitor periods and support community safety and wellbeing. The proposal would also allow for the Police, community and visitors to anticipate the controls. |
Proposed Alcohol-Free Zones
Every year Council approves alcohol bans at Riversdale Beach and Castlepoint for Labour Weekend and New Year’s Eve. We're proposing to make these alcohol-free zones permanent, instead of getting Council approval every year.
The proposed alcohol-free zones would only apply on:
- Labour Weekend: from 7pm to 7am the following day, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday each year.
- New Year: from 6pm, 30 December to 6am, 1 January each year.
The proposed alcohol-free zone would be in place across most areas of Riversdale Beach shown in schedule 4 of the proposed bylaw.
The proposed alcohol-free zone would be in place across most areas of Castlepoint indicated in Schedule 5 of the proposed bylaw.
Submission Form: Alcohol in Public Places
Puka Tāpae o Waipiro ki ngā Wāhi Tūmatanui
