The F Bar in Kingsland is at the centre of complaints about noise and bad behaviour. Photo: Google Maps
Loud music, yelling and substantial fights are among the grievances listed in a petition to block an Auckland bar's liquor licence from being renewed.
Residents in the suburb of Kingsland are fighting the renewal of F Bar's alcohol licence, saying it is behind persistent issues in the area.
But the bar says it is a nearby skatepark and surrounding area that are the problems.
Police told RNZ they were aware of issues and concerns raised by the community about F Bar, a sports bar on the corner of New North Road and Bond Street.
Owner Ke Wang, who goes by Lucien, was shocked when his staff showed him the petition.
"We had two renewals before, we never had a problem with anyone, everything went very well," he said.
"This is my third time and I noticed the problem happened suddenly, literally just broken out."
Lucien has run the bar since 2018, and said the problems were not coming from there.
He said it was from the surrounding area instead, and some of it was due to gang members.
"There's kids always hang out of here, but after 2023 the situation's getting worse and worse," he said.
"My staff, my security they tried so many times to get rid of people... but they get punched, they get hurt, so they stopped doing that."
Lucien said he was sympathetic to residents' concerns.
"No one is going to have a very good mood if they're going to wake up three o'clock, four o'clock when they're sleeping [if] there's a fight outside of where you live, I fully understand that.
"I'm just a simple businessman, I'm just doing my business here, I don't want to get in any trouble."
There was accommodation nearby, and Lucien said he and his bar staff were quick to address issues.
"If anyone has any problem, they always come talk to my staff, the staff always try sort it out or talk to me.
"We're open to the public, we're part of the community, if we're doing business well it benefits all of us."
But that was not good enough for those behind the petition.
Organiser Mary Gillespie said it was the bar's patrons causing the issues.
"Their patrons have been drinking and fighting in the street until all hours, there are people outside, there are people inside fighting, and this just seems to have come up over the last couple of years," she said
"We think it's time to try and affect some serious change."
She believed the bar's patrons did not respect the wider area, particularly late at night or early in the morning.
Gillespie said they would send the petition to the District Licencing Committee to support their case.
"I think those around or even visiting who happen to find themselves nearby at certain times can quite validly feel unsafe, and that's not the environment anyone wants for Kingsland."
But they were open to negotiation.
'We'd be happy to negotiate on terms, it could be hours it could be some kind of probation period if that's possible," Gillespie said.
"No one comes to Kingsland for quiet suburbia, we're all there for the vibrant life that Kingsland has."
Kingsland resident Taryn said the bar she said there were ongoing disturbances.
RNZ is not using her surname over safety concerns, but she said she dealt with the issue continuously.
"It's just getting woken nearly every weekend on an early Sunday morning just with yelling, screeching, sort of fights, car horns, music, bottles breaking, and just general abuse being shouted," she said.
"It's become, because it's so ongoing, just really disruptive."
She wanted to see change.
"I'd hope that we'd be able to at least negotiate some reduced hours," Taryn said.
"But, I guess, if nothing happens, there's the potential I'd probably consider how long term I'd want to stay in the area."
She believed a balance could be struck.
"I just think there's obviously a balanced between mixed use areas, particularly we've got medium and high residential around here with the apartments.
"It's just balancing out that quality of life for everybody, as well as having those businesses that bring that vibrancy in,"
"Hopefully we can find a good balance and a way forward."
The closing date for objections was early September.
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