Nelson City councillors are divided over an alcohol advertising ban at cricket matches, with some fearing they could lose international fixtures in the future.
Last month, the issue around alcohol advertising was flagged to Nelson council when it was revealed the Black Caps and White Ferns matches need an exemption to rules banning alcohol advertising at Saxton Oval.
New Zealand Cricket has a sponsorship deal with Asahi Beverages for the summer matches, which includes the right to advertise alcohol at venues.
Without sponsorship, Central Districts Cricket (which Nelson falls under) advised it would have no option other than to pull out from Nelson.
Nelson City councillors decided to vote on OCT 19 - but voted against the exemption - claiming a huge amount of alcohol harm in NZ.
Then, because Saxton Oval is jointly owned by both Nelson and Tasman District Council, Tasman councillors voted 11 to one to allow the exemption.
That sent the Nelson councillors back to the voting room, reversing its decision and allowing the exemption for this season’s matches.
One of the councillors who voted against the exemption was Matty Anderson, who believes it's a bad look for kids at the ground.
"If I'm sending my son to buy some candy floss, I don't want him walking past alcohol advertising," he told AM.
"It's learnt behaviour, we don't need to make it easier for them," Anderson said.
He also believed the companies have a lot to do with the Kiwis' drinking culture.
"The advertising industry has a deep and underappreciated influence on New Zealand's drinking culture," he said.
Anderson said although he doesn't agree with the decision, he understands it was in the region's best interests.
"I have a great deal of respect for my councillor and the decision to change their mind last minute, it was a pragmatic wider choice but my vote was in line with my values."
Meanwhile, fellow city councillor Tim Skinner, who voted for the exemption, is worried international cricket might not want to come back due to the difficulty with the advertising.
He said having games is crucial for the region.
"For me, it wasn't about allowing the advertising of alcohol, this was a decision we made a while back, bidding for this event and it brings a huge economic gain into Nelson.
"It's a discussion that should've been had far earlier to give an opportunity for us before bidding for such an event, rather than causing embarrassment to those organising [the] event."
He hopes Nelson will still be able to host great events in the future.
"We are always very welcome for sports and events, and we have incredible facilities, but this has just made it so much harder bidding in the future, even if there is reassurance that this won't happen again."
The Blackcaps take on Bangladesh in an ODI at Saxton Oval on Wednesday, December 20, with the White Ferns playing two big T20 Internationals at Saxton Oval against their great rivals, England, on Friday, March 22 and Sunday 24, 2024.
