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Recent Liquor Licensing Authority Hearing Results

Tuesday 14 August 2012, 5:18PM

By New Zealand Police

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BAY OF PLENTY

Police and Council Liquor Licensing Inspectors are satisfied that some recent decisions handed down by the Wellington based Liquor Licensing Authority (LLA) in respect of several Western Bay of Plenty premises will have a significant effect on reducing alcohol related harm and disorder in the area.

"Bobby's Bar, Massage and Strip Club" on Maunganui Road has had its trading hours reduced from 3am to 1am in a move that brings the premise into line with other licensed premises in the area.

This follows on from a hearing before the LLA last August when a reduction in trading hours from 6am to 3am was imposed on Bobby's Bar following incidents of disorder and intoxication attributed to the premise.

Police continued to monitor the premise and while there had been some reduction in the amount of alcohol related harm in and around Bobby's Bar, evidence was given by 5 Police officers of occasions where intoxication was still being allowed to continue to an unacceptable level.

The licensee and principal duty manager at the premise has also had her manager's certificate suspended for 90 days from 3 September. She was the manager on duty at the time of the monitoring and the LLA determined she had failed to deal with issues of intoxication.

The suspension application was made by Western Bay of Plenty Police in relation to intoxication issues in and around Bobby's Bar and allegations that the premise, which operates under an 'entertainment' style on-licence, was being used more as a 'tavern'.

"It was widely known that Bobby's was seen as the 'last place' to go for a drink when every other licensed premise in the Mount Maunganui area had closed" says Sergeant Nigel McGlone, the Alcohol Harm Reduction Officer for the Western Bay of Plenty Police.

"While it is supposed to operate as a brothel and adult revue premise, the vast majority of the patrons located there after other bars had closed were telling Police that they were only there to drink because Bobby's was the last place open. Many of those patrons were too intoxicated to be on licensed premises and had no interest in the 'entertainment' that was being provided".

While the premise is no longer able to sell or have liquor consumed on-site after 1am, it would still be open after that time for the brothel and adult revue services that it provides.

In other matters heard before the Authority, 2 well known downtown Tauranga premises on The Strand will close their doors to customers when they serve suspensions handed down for allowing patrons to be on their premises while intoxicated and in one case, having an underage person allegedly assaulted on the premise.

'De Bier Haus' will be closed on Saturday and Sunday 22-23 September and licensee and another manager will serve 30 day suspensions of their manager's certificates between August and October respectively.

The licensee was the duty manager on a number of occasions during September - October 2011 when patrons who were assessed as being too intoxicated to be on the premises were located by Police. He was also manager when a 16 year old Brazilian exchange student, who had managed to gain entry to the premise by unconfirmed means, was allegedly assaulted by another patron with a glass and received serious facial wounds.

The licensee acknowledged the lapses in his management of the premises at the hearing and also outlined the improvements in the operation of the premise that had been made since that time.

At the other end of The Strand, 'Krazy Jacks' will close for 3 days from Thursday to Saturday starting 30 August. As with De Bier Haus, issues of intoxicated patrons throughout the same period were acknowledged by the licensee and led to the suspension being imposed by the LLA. The duty manager at the time, who has since left the premise, has already served a 30 day suspension of her manager's certificate.

'The Drawing Room' on Maunganui Road will also close for 3 days from Tuesday to Thursday from 21 August and its licensee/manager will have his manager's certificate suspended for 30 days from 27 August.

These suspensions follow several incidents of minor disorder and inappropriate behaviour involving the licensee at the premise that were deemed sufficient to warrant suspensions. He acknowledged the matters and agreed to the suspension periods.

Sergeant McGlone believes that such results deliver clear messages to licensees and managers of all licensed premises. "If you want to take on the responsibility of selling and supplying alcohol, then it must be done responsibly and with diligence".

"These are not necessarily bad licensees - but the manner in which the premises were being operated on these occasions was not up to standard and that has been acknowledged by them. The breaches will be dealt with by way of the suspensions and we will move on and work together to provide safer and more responsible drinking environments".

"There has been an improvement in the general operation of licensed premises in the Western Bay over the last few years as Police and Council work with licensees and their staff and continue to push the message about reducing alcohol related harm in and from licensed premises. Sometimes the lessons have to be learned the hard way - through suspensions".