Bar’s hours cut amid fights, havoc

A central Wellington bar must close at 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays after its owner was found to be struggling to properly manage ‘‘challenging’’ behaviour by ‘‘high-risk’’ patrons, including fights and people climbing on to the balcony from the street.

After hearing evidence from several witnesses that The George on Willis’ young clientele were regularly involved in disorderly incidents, the Wellington District Licensing Committee has issued a decision requiring the bar to shut early on its busiest nights of the week.

This comes as police and the city council crack down on the central Wellington liquor ban in a bid to reduce violence, disorder and anti-social behaviour.

The committee’s decision states The George’s owner, Qiang Liu, banned firstyear university students from the nearby halls of residence to try to reduce alcoholrelated harm at and around the bar.

However, the change failed to convince the committee that the bar should be able to sell alcohol until 3am every day.

Sergeant Christopher Muir told the committee officers had twice found people under the age of 18 on the premises and saw patrons on the footpath drinking alcohol they had bought at the bar. Some staff responsible for security were not properly qualified or licensed, Muir said, and he believed the bar lacked ‘‘sufficient systems and processes to deal with the high influx of student clientele between 10pm and midnight’’.

According to the committee’s decision, Liu sold alcohol to a minor in 2013 and was twice found guilty of breaching the Smoke-free Environments Act after patrons were caught smoking in an enclosed area.

However, Liu told the committee he did not want students frequenting the premises and had made changes to the bar’s menu to attract an older crowd.

He argued that incidents that happened years ago should not play into the committee’s decision on whether to renew the bar’s licence. He added that staff tried to keep students safe, by making sure taxis were available. A security guard had also once walked a young woman home to her hall of residence.

The decision coincides with an initiative by police and the council to enforce the city’s alcohol-free zones this month, as part of a new social contract with the Greater Wellington Regional Council, hospitality and retail businesses in the capital. Area commander Inspector Dean Silvester said police would be looking to enforce the ban, with a focus on sideloading, where people purchased alcohol at off-licences or brought it into the central city and drank it in areas surrounding the entertainment district. ‘‘Side-loading is a concern for us. ‘‘We want people to walk through our city without feeling intimidated by people consuming alcohol in public areas and the alcohol-free zones act as both a safety initiative and a prevention tool.

‘‘If we see you in an alcohol-free zone breaching the bylaw, you can expect to get attention from us,’’ Silvester said.

A report released in September found a ‘‘consistent level of anti-social behaviour’’ at Te Aro Park in the central city, with problems being reported every hour of every day.

Those caught drinking in a liquor ban area could be issued a formal warning, face a $250 fine or be arrested.