Alcohol prohibition at sports ground 'not Australian'

COFFS Harbour City Council will review changing all parks within the CBD Masterplan area to become 24-hour alcohol prohibition areas.

UP THERE CAVALY: The prohibition of alcohol at Fitzroy Oval has been called out as 'not Australian' by a Coffs councillor.

COFFS Harbour City Council will review changing all parks within the CBD Masterplan area to become 24-hour alcohol prohibition areas.

Police from Coffs-Clarence Local Area Command requested the council consider changing the current prohibition times of 9pm-9am to 24 hours, seven days a week.

The parkland within the area include Rotary Park, Baden Powell Park, Lions Safety Park, Coffs Harbour Community Village, Fitzroy Oval, Coffs Street Reserves, Brelsford Park and the reserve on the corner of Vernon and Castle Sts.

According to the council's business paper, the council had received a number of complaints regarding anti-social behaviour during daytime hours of intoxicated people in a number of these parks.

Councillor Keith Rhoades. Picture: Trevor Veale

Cr Keith Rhoades said he had concerns with the original recommendation of amending the prohibition times in a speech paying homage to the sports played on Fitzroy Oval.

"What we have there is a sporting precinct, where cricket and AFL are very much a part of that precinct,” Cr Rhoades said.

"How can you get 'Up There Cazaly' without a beverage in hand if you're restricted? That's not football, that's not Australian.

Cr Rhoades said the council needed to go back to the community for consultation and look at those timings.

"To do what we were intending is definitely not the way go in that precinct there,” he said.

Cr George Cecato moved the motion to endorse a 30 day public exhibition and opening it to consultation before making a final decision.

The motion was voted for unanimously during last Thursday's council meeting.