KEY POINTS:
A Manurewa bar headed by a prominent community advocate has been ordered to shut for a week amid accusations that managers failed to fix problems with fighting, drinking in the carpark, and drunk patrons.
The Our Local tavern, which is owned and managed by the Wiri Licensing Trust, will have its licence suspended for a week next month after a ruling by the Liquor Licensing Authority.
Manukau City Council has welcomed the closure, which is expected to cost the trust $60,000 in lost takings.
The council's liquor and monitoring team leader, Arthur Wilkinson, criticised the trust's managers and chairman over the performance of their responsibilities and host duties.
The chairman is former Manukau City councillor Alan Johnson. Mr Wilkinson said there had been little improvement at the bar, despite numerous attempts by the council and police to get problems fixed.
"Our Local has been a particular troublespot, with high levels of intoxication, fights and drinking in the carpark," he said.
Mr Johnson has spoken out against the impact of alcohol on Manurewa in his role as a community board member.
In a Herald column last month, he described shot liquor store owner Navtej Singh and his business partner as seeming "indifferent" to the harm they were doing selling liquor in Manurewa's Randwick Park, an area he said already suffered problems with family violence and youth drinking in the streets.
Mr Johnson could not be reached for comment last night.
The trust's deputy chairwoman, Waina Emery, said she did not wish to comment on the licence suspension at this stage.
A worker at the bar, who did not want to be named, said it was being picked on because it was seen as being in a troubled area. The bar offered $5 taxi vouchers, a $10 dial-a-driver discount, and free hot chips on busy nights to encourage responsible drinking.
The worker said a bigger problem in the area was the large number of small liquor wholesalers.
The council said the suspension followed multiple inspections by liquor licensing staff and police.
