A hip hop artist turned community advocate is speaking out against a growing number of liquor stores being granted approvals and licenses in South Auckland, which she calls "not good for our kids".
It follows growing pressure for an urgent review of liquor licensing laws and the Auckland Regional Public Health Service’s findings that the area has a much higher density of off-license outlets than other parts of New Zealand’s major cities.
One application was granted permission despite receiving 159 community objections.
Community advocate and Māngere East resident Shirl'e Fruean told Breakfast “as a mum, it’s not a good thing for us to see the sort of stuff happening in our community”.
“We’ve got people that have children that go to school with no food, no shoes, low income so for us, having an extra liquor store – it’s just not good for our kids,” she said.
The hip hop artist, also known as Queen Shirl’e, said there’s “16 liquor stores in Māngere alone,” adding, “I mean, come on now, that’s just way too much”.
“When Covid hit, people were just hitting Countdown, going in and out getting alcohol and stuff but now, another store that’s trying to open up – it’s not good.”
She said it "upsets us, it hurts us" that the community's voices continue to be ignored on the issue.
"There’s been murder, there’s been suicide in the parks and so we’re just trying to find the good in our community and keep that light shining.
“There’s people like us who do care about community, that we are trying to make a difference.”
Fruean said she started the Pathways to Performing Arts programme after a group of around 15 primary school-aged children asked her to help purchase alcohol for them in 2006.
“That was me, I once was those kids that were there and so I sort of understood where they were coming from but then I thought, ‘You know what? Now that I’m a mum, I have to think ahead like, ‘I don’t want these kids to go through that same path – pregnancy, gangs – and this is our everyday life.
“It’s sad but this is the truth.”
Fruean said she isn’t advocating for people to stop drinking entirely but to moderate the amount of liquor stores in the community.
“We’re not saying, ‘don’t drink’ and stuff – it’s not about that. It’s about the amount of liquor stores that we have and the access.”
She is calling for greater community input “because we all feel it – we feel the pain of what we see in our community”.
“People don’t see it. These people that want to come in and run these businesses – they don’t know the impact it’s doing to our kids.”
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