City councillor revives talks of one way door policy

A one-way door policy may be on the cards as Hamilton City Council grapples with late-night violence in the central city.

The need for better safety in the CBD has again been highlighted after a gang related brawl in the early hours of Sunday, February 26.

Footage showed that multiple fights broke out between gang members and other members of the public in the city centre while police tried to contain the situation.

The District Health Board and the police have asked the Hamilton City Council what they can do to prevent such incidents.

“We’re a long way from doing it, but there’s a possibility we might introduce a one-way door policy,” city councillor Geoff Taylor said.

The policy would see club-goers unable to enter a premise after a set time and therefore put an end to late night “club-hopping”.

The city council voted against the policy in 2015 due to the enforcement difficulties.

“The last council did a local alcohol policy (LAP) and it took about three years to do it,” Taylor said.

“You have to go out and consult with everyone, get submissions, go through a hearing process and then make a decision.”

That plan is still going through the courts due to appeals, including supermarkets appealing what time they are required to stop selling alcohol.

The one-way door policy wouldn’t require a complete restart of the LAP, but all parties involved would need to be consulted.

“So you’re probably talking a couple of years again. It’s a long process because you have to give everyone a right to have their say, legally.

“But we’re heading down that track, to have another look at it.”

Quadrant bar owner Melissa Renwick is not a fan of the proposed policy.

“They are saying the drunken people are all getting out on to the street at 3am, well should that be the case, then that is all just going to happen at 1am,” she said.

“It is not going to actually solve any of the problems that we are facing.”

Another area that needs to be looked at is the level of police activity in town, Taylor said.

“The police, I think, feel that they’re over-run, they’ve got so much to do and they haven’t got enough resources. That’s their view, and my view is that they need to up their game.

“If they’re not visible in central city, they’re letting the city down.”

He recently witnessed a scene involving 10 men who were hanging around Garden Place, one of them projectile vomiting and another appearing to be sniffing from a paper bag.

Complaints were made, but he saw no police turn up.

Taylor said the council was likely to talk to police about the issue.

“I had one meeting with our City Safe manager and mayor and I’ve got another one in a few days to see what they can come up with.

“And at that point, [we will] try and organise a meeting with the police.”