My local, Paraoa Brewing Co in Whangaparaoa, are shutting down this month.

Been a fantastic place for people of all ages, and helped the local youth get known for music by giving them a location to play, including my daughters band, The People. Without Paraoa, the band would not have had the confidence to push as much as they have and get to the place they're in now.

Long story short about Paraoa....

When they applied for their location, ONE elderly couple kicked up a stink. They were ignored and the Paraoa went ahead. 

Ever since then, this one couple has done everything they can over the years to make life hell for Paraoa. Then last year, they found they had a friend in the council, who pushed their complaints to the top, and next thing, Paraoa are getting noise control visits at 8PM on a Friday or Saturday night !!!! No other (not that theres many) pubs around here get visited, even one with residential houses right opposite them.

Paraoa fought it, but lawyer fees started getting out of hand. Locals did everything they could to support Paraoa but it was not enough.

The main complaint was the "noise".  Yet one of the couple, are deaf. And their house is on other side of buildings,AND below the road. So any "noise" wouldve been extremely minimal. To my knowledge noise readings were only taken outside the bar - so of course its going to be louder there. And done on phones with random apps. Apparently, there is NO official certified noise level meters for the Auckland council - so your Samsung vs my iPhone are going to give different readings. 

This couple have even been so smug as to sit in the bar carpark at 6pm with their phone recording the bar and taking their own noise level readings - at 6PM FFS! (Unfortunately shared carpark so cant trespass them)

Its been a complete joke but does show, that its who you know.....

So if you're up this way over the next couple of weeks, or a local, pop into Paraoa Brewing, and grab a drink to say farewell.