Heaven nightclub closes its doors

THE operators of Heaven nightclub have gone into administration.

THE operators of Heaven nightclub have gone into administration.

Administrator Hugh Martin, of Bernardi Martin, said the nightspot's operator, Music Talking, owed $300,000 to creditors and $150,000 to the Australian Taxation Office.

Heaven re-opened in the St Paul's function centre, on the corner of Pulteney and Flinders streets, in September, 2010.

"The nightclub has been losing money because it was unable to trade as it had planned because of restrictions on its licence," Mr Martin said.

"We understand it had been performing significantly better before its trading hours were reduced."

Mr Martin, of Bernardi Martin, was appointed as administrator on January 20, when the nightclub also stopped trading.

Mr Martin said the licence conditions, which were the subject of court proceedings last year after residents made complaints about noise, restricted trading at the upstairs section of the club.

"That's where the nightclub made most of its money," he said.

"The company appears to have paid very little tax the entire time it traded.

"Other than that, the creditors were the landlords, the company's lawyer and assorted trade suppliers.

"We'll be investigating the affairs of the company and trying to find a purchaser for the business and its equipment."

Mr Martin said it was likely another nightclub would open at the Pulteney St site, but no one involved in running Heaven would be connected with the new club.

Heaven's licensee Orlando Farese did not return calls from the Sunday Mail yesterday.