A LONE voice has stifled live music at a Batemans Bay beer garden, a publican says, spurring 150 petitioners to shout: “Turn up the dial”.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Bayview Hotel proprietor Michael O’Brien said one person was the catalyst for killing Saturday night live music at his outdoor venue.
“About eight months ago, a person bought a unit (at The Clyde apartments) and every Saturday night, it would not matter what happened, he would complain about the noise,” Mr O’Brien said.
“The police had to act and advised us to turn it down,” he said.
“We did a sound report and found, on an overcast night, the sound density increased and did not disperse through the air.
“We decided, in the long run, we would not be having entertainment out the back.
“We decided to have it inside, but the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing has told us that we cannot have any amplified sound.”
The music was turned off early last month.
“We are in the process of putting in a sound system that DJs and bands must hook into,” Mr O’Brien said.
“If the noise gets up past a certain level it gets cut off.”
He said the hotel had presented live music for 20 years, but could not afford to be fined.
It was having a terrible effect on business.
“I have had to cut three security guards and five bar staff and it must have a snowball effect on other businesses,” he said.
Mr O’Brien conceded anti-social behaviour had occurred at and around the hotel.
“I’m the first to admit that, over 12 months, you will have problems, but it is not all alcohol related,” he said.
“I would rather know where the 600 young people are of a Saturday night: in a controlled environment.
“If the young people can’t come here, where are they going to go?”
Mr O’Brien said he had solicitors considering the issue.
“We are appealing the decision and trying other avenues,” he said.
“Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, we will be able to come to some sort of arrangement with the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing, where we can get our music back, but we will probably never be able to have music outside again,” he said.
He said he knew many apartment residents were not complaining about the music.
“I’ve spoken to many of the people who live there and they say it is not a problem,” Mr O’Brien said.
The Illawarra Retirement Trust (IRT) (which runs The Clyde) said residents had not informed management of any issues.
IRT media relations co-ordinator Paul Glover said officially, he hadn’t been told anything by Clyde residents, but he was “looking into” the issue.
Mr O’Brien said he had had nothing to do with the petition, now displayed in several CBD businesses.
“That had nothing to do with me,” he said.
“It was spontaneous, but what struck me about it was how many people of different ages were concerned, from people in their 60s down.”
RELATED CONTENT: The day the music died