Student-owned bar facing difficulty

Auckland University Students’ Association
For immediate release.
AUSA Media Release: November 5 2012

Student-owned bar facing difficulty

“Shadows Bar” at the University of Auckland is entering a difficult period as its holding company, Bacchid Benevolency Ltd (BBL), has a liquidator appointed. BBL. The Auckland University Students’ Association (AUSA) is an indirect beneficiary of BBL.

“AUSA and BBL have been under intense financial pressure since AUSA became a voluntary association in 1999,” said AUSA President, Arena Williams. “Since then, AUSA has not been able to independently sustain many of its services, including Shadows. Unfortunately, BBL has not been able to adapt to this new environment. AUSA has had to support BBL to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars in previous years. The student and independent trustees of the Services Trust that oversees BBL was not satisfied that it would be able to able to turn around its performance without putting more student money at significant risk.”

BBL also includes other outlets on campus, such as the Quad and Hangar Cafes. But AUSA has made it clear that its chief priority is Shadows, a popular student bar. Under an agreement recently signed with the University, the space that Shadows occupies will remain in student hands. “We will be doing everything we can to make sure there is a student bar on campus,” said Services Trust trustee and AUSA Treasurer Bowen Liu. “We are currently taking advice and are confident that there will be a bar operating by Orientation Week 2013.

Students with further questions are encouraged to contact Arena Williams at president@ausa.org.nz."

ENDS