Noise-hating residents force Moore Park View Hotel to spend $500K

Complaints from noise-hating residents at a new block of units next to the Moore Park View Hotel is to cost the venue $500,000 in extensive sound mitigation measures.

The Moore Park View Hotel in Waterloo. Photo: Google.

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Complaints from noise-hating residents at a newly built apartment block next to the Moore Park View Hotel is to cost the venue $500,000 in sound proofing measures.

Liquor and Gaming NSW has issued a warning notice on the 80-year-old venue after official complaints were lodged by three tenants at a 24-room development to the rear of the hotel.

The complaints centred on pub patrons creating “unbearable noise” such as “singing loudly”, “yelling”, and “general arguing” between 7pm and midnight, up to seven days per week.

The venue and block of units to the rear of the site. Photo: Google Maps.

Their concerns also focused on pub-goers congregating at a semi-enclosed patio and fire escape landing, overlooked by their balconies.

One resident gathered video and sound recording evidence of rowdy pub-goers on the night of a 2017 boxing match between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather when patron numbers were “eight times higher than average”.

The resident called on hotel management to enclose the entire rear patio to help nearby tenants get a decent night’s sleep.

Following their complaints, the venue has shut the rear patio to patrons at 10.30pm, hired acoustic experts to prepare a noise impact statement, and installed airconditioning units inside the hotel.

The case comes as political parties put sound proofing laws on the election agenda. Pictured is Tyson Koh from Keep Sydney Open.

Licensee John Doble said a development application to enclose the patio area was also being completed — something he said would cost “in the order of least $500,000”.

Mr Doble, who has owned the hotel since 1991, credited the noise complaints to increased development in the local area.

“The hotel was built in the 1930s at a time when the area was virtually all industrial — there was never any problem with noise,” he said.

“More and more people have moved into new developments in the last few years — there are two more under construction — and that’s certainly led to a lot of the issues.”

Mr Doble said the venue was aiming to have sound proofing completed by the middle of the year, but believed the onus should “also be on residents”.

“I feel for anyone who can’t get a decent night’s sleep … but anybody who is going to decide to live next to a venue should expect a potential level of noise,” he said.

“It’s the same as if you were to move near an airport or a train line — noise at a hotel after 10pm is expected.

“The onus should also be on (residents) to ensure they’ve done everything possible at their end as well (to mitigate noise).”

In his ruling, Liquor and Gaming’s acting director of compliance operations Dimitri Argeres said a first strike warning would “ensure that disturbance at the hotel is minimised” until sound proofing is completed.

He found the hotel “had at times caused undue disturbance to the neighbourhood”.

“This undue disturbance appears primarily due to increased patronage in recent years (and an) increase in local population density including the complainant’s building,” he said.

Local police said officers “had not detected any notable (compliance) issues” in the five inspections carried on the hotel in 2018.

Police said the issues raised by residents “had some basis”, however “should be tempered by the fact the hotel has been operating at the location for many decades whereas the complainant’s apartment building has only appeared in the last decade”.

Minister for Racing and Lands Paul Toole said venues needed to ensure any negative impacts on local residents and businesses are minimised.

“In dealing with noise disturbance matters, we always consider the need for balanced development of the liquor industry and aligned industries such as live music, entertainment and tourism,” he said.

Mr Doble said the venue has plans to extend trading until 2am once sound proofing is completed with the aim of “encouraging live music bands back into the venue”.

WILL LAWS CHANGE?

THE case comes after a NSW Parliamentary inquiry into live music last year found noise complaint laws can be “crippling” for venues.

The report called on state parliament to provide grants of up to $25,000 to assist live music venues to install noise attenuation measures.

The issue has been put on the 2019 State Election agenda with opposition leader Michael Daley vowing to establish a new class of licence for live entertainment and a “one-stop shop” for both venues and residents to deal with noise complaints.

Keep Sydney Open, in its election bid, has also pledged to enact an “agent of change” policy. This would make new developments built near live music venues responsible for carrying out sound attenuation measures.

The State Government said it was also planning to launch an “expert advisory panel” to investigate ways of integrating liquor and planning approvals.