Gang Patch Ban: NZ set to follow Wanganui’s lead - 23/04/2010Mayor Michael Laws has today hailed the decision of Local Government New Zealand to seek Parliament to amend the Local Government Act 2002, to enable individual councils to follow Wanganui’s lead and ban gang patches, insignia and colours.
In an article in the most recent ‘NZ Local Government’ publication (April 2010),
Mr Grant Hewison, a senior lawyer from Kensington Swan specialising in local government matters, announces the following:
“Following the success of the Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Act 2009, Local Government NZ (supported by Kensington Swan) is seeking national legislation to allow other councils to follow Wanganui’s lead...
“Rather than taking a district-by-district approach, a blanket law change allowing any council to pass similar bylaws may be preferable. Local Government NZ is now trying to get the Local Government Act 2002 amended so councils can introduce a bylaw if they wish without having to get a special local act of Parliament.”
Mayor Laws said that he had always intended that Wanganui’s gang patch ban “was for export. New Zealand has the gang problem: Wanganui just wanted to take a lead in shutting these petty terrorists down”.
“This is also a slap in the face for the council critics who said that it would never work. Not only is it working but the rest of the country wants to follow our example. There is a salutary lesson there for all who wish to learn!”
Read Grant Hewison's article (PDF, 255KB)
‘National legislation planned to allow councils to ban gang patches’ (‘New Zealand Local Government’ publication, April 2010, p5) | 
