Low-alcohol beer trial

Press, 19 December 1985, Page 36

Low-alcohol beer trial

PA Nelson Low-strength beer is to go on trial as the only alcoholic drink available at the Übix Trophy (Hawke Cup) cricket matches in Nelson next year. A test on the effect of a ban on sales of full-strength beer at Trafalgar Park has been decided by the Nelson City Council. The low-alcohol beer experiment, which has the Nelson Cricket Association’s support, will not begin until after the January 2 Central Districts-Canterbury Shell Cup match. The Mayor, Mr Peter Malone, the principal campaigner for the low-alcohol

beer, accepted that introducing the proposal before that game would lead to great difficulties for the association in policing the ground. The motion he successfully proposed at a council meeting was a compromise on his original idea to restrict beer-booth licences on council land to low-alcohol beer only. That drew a strong reaction from Nelson cricketers, who feared the move would jeopardise sponsorship from Lion Breweries, lead to problems controlling illicit drinking, and result in first class cricket matches being withdrawn from Nelson.