An RNZ report Tuesday said that the Waitaki District Council has implemented a Labour weekend booze ban at a South Island campground well-known for its drunken teenager parties.
Students in high school love Loch Laird near Otematata to mark the end of their school year.
The parties can get out of control as hundreds of teens gather at the campground throwing rocks and bottles at campervans and cars, verbally abusing people, and speeding through campgrounds.
Waitaki District Council has taken a stand and imposed a temporary ban on alcohol to curb bad behavior over Labour Weekend
In the report, Vicki Munro, a resident of Otematata and Ahuriri Community Board Chair, did not want students to stop visiting the Loch Laird campground and having fun. However, she wanted to end alcohol-fuelled bad behavior.
She said that one contractor who worked in the camps got a cooler thrown at this head, saying the incident was “unbelievable”.
“They need to be able to recognize that it’s anti-social behavior, but they can still have fun without coming up with any responsibility,” she added.
A 17-year-old Oamaru student was killed when the car she was traveling in struck a tree in 2003. She and her friends were staying in Otematata for the long weekend, the report said.
The community was worried that someone could die if they didn’t make changes.
Waitaki District Council unanimously approved Tuesday’s ban on alcohol from the upper terrace, between the foreshore of Loch Laird, and Wildlife camp during the entire Labour weekend.
This means that alcohol can’t be consumed or stored in unsealed containers.
The ban would be enforced by police, including the possibility of arresting and searching.
Melanie Tavendale, deputy mayor, moved for the ban to take place.
Oamaru Police claims that some parents left 12 packs of RTDs with their children, with the understanding that they would only consume four per day. However, all 12 packs were consumed within hours.
In the report, a mother who was staying with her family claimed that she gave her daughter, nine years old, anti-anxiety medication after seeing a fight at the toilets.
She described the behavior around the toilets to be intimidating with violence, swearing, and cars speeding along the roads.
According to the report, a campaign to inform parents and schools about the dangers and the new measures is in the works.