Wellington City Council is to ask the public whether it wants a 24-hour city-wide liquor ban.
Fourteen out of 15 councillors voted on Thursday that the issue should be put out for public submissions, a process which could mark the introduction of a liquor ban by June.
However, some questioned whether it was hypocritical to introduce a ban when excessive drinking is condoned at major public events like the rugby sevens.
If Wellington introduces a city-wide liquor ban, it would be the first major centre in New Zealand to do so.
Drinking in public is already prohibited in the CBD and some inner city suburbs.
