Popular Dunedin student hotspot 'completely unsafe' - police say

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Dunedin News

From reporter Hamish McNeilly:

A popular Dunedin venue aimed at the student market faces the loss of its liquor licence, with police saying they have ‘’no confidence’’ in the premises.

The Octagon nightspot is the subject of a three-day Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority hearing, which started in Dunedin on Tuesday morning.

In his opening statement, Sergeant Stephen Jones said police had "no confidence" in those running Eleven Bar, after intoxicated people were found at the bar, and it was found breaching Covid regulations.

The bar made national headlines in February last year, when Stuff showed footage of revellers flouting rules during the Government’s Covid-19 red setting, while inside Eleven Bar and Club.

The premises, which catered for Dunedin’s large student population, was "completely unsafe" for patrons, he said.

In addition, police had requested evidence of training at the establishment, and received no information as to date, while the venue and its managers continuing to breach requirements under the Act.

Jones was seeking the cancellation of the licence for the bar, and its three managers: Naveen Malhotra, Nikesh Singh and Steven Dewe.

While the company was represented by a lawyer, the three managers were not represented by legal representatives, with Malhotra telling ARLA chairperson Judge Philip Connell that was a financial issue.

‘’We invested all our finances in the business,’’ Malholtra, one of three owners in the business, said.

The evidence of two witnesses were subject to a non-publication order.

A WorkSafe Inspector told the hearing she received a complaint about the venue in early 2022, which included not wearing masks, patrons dancing, and not checking vaccine passports under the Covid regulations at the time.

Malhotra did not accept that there had been a breach.

There was another breach reported in April, with Malhotra replying that that was a private function.

Meanwhile, Eleven Bar was subject to a district licensing committee hearing last month, with that hearing to resume at a later date.

The business had recently applied for a renewal of its on-licence, but all three reporting agencies – police, the medical officer of health, and licensing inspector – opposed it.

Police believed the Eleven Bar was responsible for a lot of the noise, litter and disorder reported to authorities in the Octagon.

The hearing continues.