Strip club wins adult licence

THE pants are off.

THE pants are off.

Mackay's first strip club yesterday received its Adult Entertainment Permit from Liquor Licensing, but division nine councillor Kevin Casey was not lining up to get in.

Mackay City Council originally objected to the placement of Showbar 140, and Cr Casey has not softened.

"I was opposed originally I'm still opposed to it," he said yesterday.

He said he was against its placement, near a school and church, and that it could lead to "anti-social behaviour" in the City Heart.

"I'm a family man, I have family values, and I don't think that this sort of thing should be in a family-oriented city. That's my opinion."

The club's venue manager Adam Elliot defended the "gentleman's club", saying it would not lower the standard of Mackay's City Heart.

"What we're doing has been done in every regional and capital city in Australia," he said.

"We have the safest environment for punters with our identification systems and cameras.

"The community feeling should be that it's a standard of entertainment.

"After that, the rest of the issues fall away," Mr Elliot said.

Showbar 140 entertainment director "Gayna" said there would be nudity only in the private areas, not on the stages. She said the performers "were running around and getting ready" after hearing the news.

"It was like a scene from Benny Hill," she said.

Originally published as Strip club wins adult licence