Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa ward councillor Christine Fletcher promises probe into unruly party

By RNZ

A councillor for the Auckland suburb of Mt Albert is asking the council’s chief executive to investigate, after an out-of-control party of teens left several injured.

Teenagers ran for their lives, when trouble broke out on Phyllis St target="_self" rel="" title="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland/police-paramedics-respond-to-emergency-incident-in-aucklands-mt-albert/GEXTUBYLZJCI5CML7JTEZ25J5M/">on Friday night.

Two people were hurt, after a vehicle drove toward partygoers, while another two were injured in wider disorder.

Neighbours said the home was listed on short-stay accommodation sites and had been used for parties before.

One neighbour said locals had raised the problem with local MPs and other authorities, but nothing had changed.

Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa ward councillor and former Auckland Mayor Christine Fletcher told RNZ the unrest could not happen again.

“It’s completely unacceptable,” she said. “While, at the moment, the matter sits with police, we have to – within council – look at those areas for which we’re responsible,” she said.

“Infringements, noise infringements, whether it’s the sale of alcohol ... we need to actually do a check to see what complaints have been lodged over this past year, because we cannot see a repeat of that just terrible behaviour.”

Fletcher said the incident was significant and had to be taken seriously.

“Let’s leave it with police at the moment, but know that there will be an investigation going on behind the scenes.”

Fletcher said she had been contacted by two residents with young families, wondering what on earth had happened.

“We’re not living in a warzone and we do not need to see this type of behaviour. We need to get to the bottom of it and understand how this has been allowed to happen.”

Local Anna McKessar earlier told RNZ she was putting her children to bed just before 10pm, when a group of screaming teens came running towards her home.

“I was really worried about the young people that I could see, and whether they were trying to get away and whether they were safe.”

She said a few hundred people were gathered there, before violence spilt out on to the road.

“They shouldn’t have been having this ruckus party.”

Another Phyllis St resident, who did not want to be named, said she was woken by the sounds of the “violent” altercation.

“There was so many people out there screaming and shouting at each other, and they were kicking the gates and fences of random houses down Phyllis St. It sounded like people were getting really hurt.”

Police said they wanted to hear from anyone with footage from the event or who had not yet spoken with them.