I'm a bit confused by this - "Vehicles in the ban-zone can be searched by police" and "Am I safe drinking on my front lawn or porch? Yes. That is private property." Last I heard, my personal car is my private property which makes the 2 sentences from the article very contradictory.

I guess all the people complaining about being arrested for having wine at a picnic missed these 2 points - "What happens if I open a bottle of wine at a picnic? You could be arrested but police say that is highly unlikely as long as you are drinking responsibly" and "What events will be exempt? None but the council would be able to issue temporary liquor licences for outdoor venues, for example, in a marquee in Waitangi Park. "

A total ban is yet again a overreative approach to a minority problem. Police should police the resulting behaviour not the drinking. I have in the past enjoyed a couple of beers while sitting on the beach at Oriental Bay, or having a beer or wine at a park/picnic/barbecue, but that doesn't mean I go and abuse people or urinate or or throw up everywhere, this is called responsible drinking. Police need to concentrate on the trouble makers not law abiding citizens (nanny state extended I say).

I fully support the ban. While I enjoy a glass of wine while watching concerts at the botanic gardens, I would happily trade it for orange juice if it helped cleainging up the streets and public places of drunks and reckless youths.

RE: James #5, that is on of the most intelligent comments I have ever read. But will banning the rugby sevens and AC/DC will solve Wellingtons litter problems, drinking problems, New Zealands drinking culture, or the worlds? Why not sue AC/DC or the IRB for all alcohol related expences incured worldwide? Or were you just being facesious?

What a farce. Take the concerts at the botanical gardens every summer: dozens of people take wine and beer along with picnics, without trouble, including families with children. I doubt it will change next summer. So the police will either have to arrest all those people, in front of children and at one of Wellington's most peaceful and celebrated summer events (put on by the council themselves), or more likely NOT arrest anyone and show that it isn't a blanket ban after all.

If Newtown has a anti-social problem related to alcohol, let the council extend the zone to Newtown and the police can arrest people who are actually causing trouble. A blanket ban on the whole city will criminalise ordinary people causing no trouble and be impossible to enforce.

Great Idea. As usual the do gooders think that all NZ will be locked up. what this law I guess is intended to do is stop the slobs and rif-raf from taking over our parks and public areas. It will/should give the police power to remove the drunk from areas where sober people (like myself)may like to walk or enjoy the open spaces with out having to walk through vomit and be abused by these groups of scum Take a look at the american rules that have been in place for years. You do not see drunk groups of youths over there like we allow here.

So what's going happen to gardens magic? Some of the appeal for this is to be able to sit down outside enjoying a picnic with a glass of wine/beer whilst listening to the music.

What ever the police say, if it is illegal to drink in a public place, drinking at an outdoor picnic is illegal, so you can and will be arrested. The police have shown that they have little discretion when it comes to policing the law!

Once again the few will ruin it for the majority!

Just get rid of the sevens and ac/dc, after those two events there was more vomit and broken bottles on the street while heading to work than i have ever seen before.

Not that long ago, the Police Offences Act made it an offence to drink alcohol in public places, and the police did not abuse their authority by locking everyone up, but they could make drunks empty their bottles once found. One government or other removed that offence when the Summary Offences Act came in. Since then, we've had more alcohol-fuelled incidents in public than ever before. I think Wellington is on the right track, but a government with guts should bring back the nation-wide ban on consuming alcohol in any public place without a permit. This country is flooded in booze after dark, lets get real, keep the drinking in enclosed or permitted places.