Jackson Street changed from drunken brawls into peaceful accord
By Jamie Melbourne-Hayward
Owner of Murphy?s Law Irish Bar on Jackson Street, Tamahou Waikari, says a year ago Jackson Street had a reputation of violence and drunken disorder, but the ?vibe? has changed. Mr Waikari and Kevin ?Macca? from the Fireman?s Arms received the Safe City award at the Hutt City Council Civic Awards in recognition of the work done by the Petone Alcohol Accord. ?It?s fantastic, a huge success. Jackson Street has a really good vibe now, the clubs and pubs, it feels great,? he says. A huge dust-up on Jackson Street last year was the watershed moment that forced bar owners to say ?enough is enough?. ?It started a year ago, when the Empire was still rolling. ?There was a big brawl, really out of control, late at night on Jackson Street,? says Mr Waikari. Bar owners decided to form the Petone Alcohol Accord, which works to solve local alcohol related problems. With the help of the Hospitality Association of NZ the accord runs monthly meetings to discuss any issues on the street. ?We can talk about general issues and check with other owners if they are experiencing the same thing. ?It?s a way to talk about how we can collectively deal with the issues, because we are stronger together,? he says. The Safe City awards honour people who have contributed their time and energy to voluntary services benefiting residents or organisations in the city. The accord also files reports to the council to help with their Safe Cities campaign. ?The meetings are a pretty formal set up; we take notes and discuss topics. ?It?s an open air forum to talk about problems, and put into effect solutions. The accord has coordinated Drink Driving campaigns in conjunction with the council, which was a ?huge success?. ?In august we had outstanding numbers; only one person was caught drunk driving,? Mr Waikari says.
