Palmerston North City Council is to decide whether or not to allow fizzy drink sales at its event venues, after calling for public submissions. Photo: AFP/ DPA - Annette Riedl
The sale of fizzy drinks could be banned from a range of venues in Palmerston North, under a proposal being considered by the city council.
However, some residents are unhappy about the ban which is already in place at some venues - including mayor Grant Smith, who has called the move a "bit of an overreach".
The topic is to be considered by the Palmerston North City Council, after public submissions on the idea closed in November.
The council called for feedback on a new health promotion policy, which would replace three existing policies: the healthy beverage policy, the auahi kore smokefree and vapefree outdoor areas policy, and the sun protection policy.
The draft policy proposed several changes, with the most contentious being to extend the list of facilities where sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) cannot be sold.
A spokesperson for the council said the aim of the proposed policy was to promote healthier lifestyle choices.
But Smith said the policy went too far, and that he was not alone in his stance, with about 80 percent of online and written submissions opposed to the ban.
"What will they ban next? Food? Alcohol?" he said.
Mayor Grant Smith. Photo: RNZ /Dom Thomas
"It would make us quite unattractive, so I'm hoping that people can see common sense."
Smith said he was "supportive of the other policies, but very much against the fizzy drinks and letting people make their own decisions about what they can purchase and drink".
The proposal had arisen because the council wanted to consider the responsibility of its influence, the council spokesperson said.
"As well as owning land and running public facilities, we're also a major provider of events in the city. This means we have the opportunity to determine how our public spaces and events are managed. The proposed policy aims to guide us in running these in a way that reflects our community's values by encouraging behaviour change in the places, facilities and events we manage.
"Since the policy has been in place, the Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North Conference and Function Centre, and Civil Administration Building have phased out the sale of SSBs and replaced them with the policy's recommended beverages. Staff have reported that they do receive some negative feedback from the public about not having the choice to purchase SSBs, particularly at the Central Energy Trust Arena.
"As noted in the council report, children in the MidCentral region have poor oral health (i.e. decayed, missing, and filled teeth) compared with those in other regions. One of our council objectives is to support and promote community health. The provisions of this proposed policy would not prevent people from buying or consuming fizzy drinks but would restrict some of their opportunities to do so.
A deliberations report on the policy is to be presented to the council's community committee on 19 March.
"Responses to this and other issues raised by submitters will be included in that report," they said.
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