Five venues on Auckland’s Karangahape Road have lost their liquor licences, following objections from the police and an alcohol licensing inspector.
Mavana Group Limited (MGL) operates Family Bar, Family Down Under, G.A.Y. Club, Las Vegas Nightclub (Empire), and Phoenix Venue, all on Karangahape Road.
Family Bar is particularly iconic, having been a popular LGBTTQIA+ bar for more than 20 years.
After taking over the venues, MGL applied for temporary authorities to sell alcohol earlier this year, with permission granted on 7 May.
The company was warned at the time, however, that “no further compliance failures would be tolerated”.
MGL, which has Dalavou Niuhulu as its director and Justine Niuhulu as its sole shareholder, had been seeking another grant of temporary authorities to sell alcohol. Opposition from the police and an alcohol licensing inspector resulted in a hearing in Auckland on 28 August, where a myriad of concerns were raised about multiple incidents at the venues.
The decision to reject the venues’ liquor licences as a result of that hearing has just been released.
Police told the hearing that MGL had failed to address concerns raised by Auckland’s District Licensing Committee. Police felt MGL “had not demonstrated the level of control, oversight and compliance expected of a licensee in one of Auckland’s highest-risk alcohol environments”.
While large portions of what police told the hearing have been redacted from the decision, as the statements relate to active investigations, a number of incidents have been disclosed since the venues were given temporary permission to sell alcohol in May.
Sergeant Simon Dillon said unlicensed security staff had been used by MGL, which “demonstrated inadequate employment vetting and failures in compliance”.
There was also allegedly an assault on police during a compliance check at Black Velvet – another MGL-owned venue – on 7 June, where the patron admitted to consuming a full box of alcoholic drinks.
He also noted a driver with alleged excess blood alcohol that crashed into a parked car claimed to have had his last drink at Family Bar.
G.A.Y. Auckland has lost its licence.
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Another “disorder job” occurred outside Family Bar on 4 July. The matter was now before the court.
Auckland Council senior alcohol licensing inspector Ashley Wilson addressed compliance monitoring at MGL’s businesses.
He said while some issues may appear to be minor administrative breaches, he believed they showed defective systems, staff and training, and reflected negatively on MGL’s attitude toward adhering to the rules.
Drunkenness at the venues witnessed by various agencies “showed MGL’s unsuitability directly contributed to alcohol harm”, he said.
Jon Wiles represented MGL at the hearing. He said police and licensing inspectors’ submissions mostly related to isolated incidents, many of which did not involve MGL serving alcohol to those involved.
Many did not occur within the licensed premises either, he said.
Administrative issues identified the licensing inspector were minor, and had been fixed promptly, he said.
Allegations relating to intoxication were largely subjective, he said, and while the company acknowledged some incidents had occurred, MGL believed prompt and decisive corrective action had been taken, “including the replacement of the previous security provider with Sila and Sons Security Group”.
Niuhulu, MGL’s sole shareholder, said she had made a substantial personal and financial investment in Karangahape Road’s hospitality sector, and had made a long-term commitment to the area.
She said she wanted to operate safe, professionally managed venues that contributed positively to the local community and hospitality environment.
The District Licensing Committee labelled what it had heard from police “alarming” and “disturbing”.
“MGL was given an opportunity to show that it could deliver on its vision for the premises and the Karangahape community,” the committee said.
“We do not consider MGL is suitable to continue to hold the temporary authorities.
“The applications are declined.”
The committee’s decision can be read here.