Premier Chris Minns will meet the owners of a Palm Beach restaurant which had its application for later trading hours rejected following a handful of objections, saying the troubling decision was “the opposite direction” to his vision for an open Sydney.
Minns regularly names the exodus of young people from Sydney as one of his major concerns, and linked the Palm Beach fracas to the broader issue of opportunities for fun and innovation in the city. The restaurant owners said the rejection of their application would cost jobs.
Premier Chris Minns answers questions from the media during a visit to Moree on Wednesday.Credit: NRL imagery
“I am worried about it ... I was pretty troubled by that story,” Minns said on Wednesday. “One or two complaints knocking over an entertainment venue or a restaurant or a bar that could employ lots of young people, provide some opportunity, some entertainment, something to do in Sydney – it’s the opposite direction in which want to travel.
“We want to get more young people backing themselves [and] opening venues in Sydney.”
The Herald revealed on Tuesday that The Joey restaurant, which has taken over the old Boathouse site on the Palm Beach peninsula, applied to open for dinner and trade until 11pm each night, but was rejected by Northern Beaches Council. Presently, it must close at 4pm daily.
The application attracted 132 supportive submissions and seven opposing. But a panel of three council planning staff found allowing the restaurant to stay open so late was “likely to result in unreasonable amenity impacts to nearby residential properties”.
The journey from The Joey to housing at Palm Beach is about 600 metres, past a golf course.Credit: Janie Barrett
That was despite the nearest residential properties being 600 metres away on Beach and Waratah roads, separated by a nine-hole golf course.
As the Herald reported on Wednesday, one of the objectors, Stephen Jones, was also involved in noise complaints against Palm Beach Golf Club, CASA by The Boathouse and the now-defunct restaurant Cranky Fins.
Jones’ neighbour Richard Kovacs said sound from the waterfront venue “bounces off the water” and is amplified down the beach toward their homes.
Northern Beaches Council is due to meet the restaurant operators, Ben May and Rob Domjen, on Friday along with their planner, and said it was hopeful of reviewing the decision and avoiding a legal challenge in the Land and Environment Court.
Rob Domjen, a co-owner of The Joey in Palm Beach. The restaurant is due to meet council staff on Friday to review the decision.Credit: Janie Barrett
“It’s a blow for employment, for young people up here,” May said previously.
Minns and the owners are due to meet on Monday. Asked whether the council should reverse its decision, the premier did not express a view, saying he did not know where the matter was up to in the planning system, but wished to learn more.
The NSW government is moving to make it harder for neighbours to shut down venues through noise complaints, particularly for live music venues. Under a new, simplified system, Liquor and Gaming will handle such complaints, instead of a web of seven government agencies.
Earlier, Music and Night-time Economy Minister John Graham said Palm Beach was synonymous with soap opera as the set of Home and Away, but the restaurant’s owners must feel like “they are stuck in a real life plot line bordering on farce”.
“When the nearest house is more than half a kilometre away, and separated by a golf course, it begs the question: what is the definition of ‘a neighbour’?” he said. “On this basis, we should also ask the opinion of the Barrenjoey lighthouse keeper, which is only marginally further away.”