Adamstown Bowling Club: Investigation hands down findings into noise complaint row
A popular bowling club has responded to claims it causes ‘excessive noise’ and anti-social behaviour after a two-year noise complaint battle with neighbours triggered a formal investigation.
Newcastle
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A Newcastle bowling club will be able to continue hosting live music at the venue after a noise complaint battle with local residents that had some homeowners calling for a “dramatic decrease” in noise.
Adamstown Bowling Club has been granted council approval to use its outdoor areas for live and amplified musical performances following a two-year noise complaint row with surrounding homeowners.
The approval comes after residents took their complaints to Liquor and Gaming NSW – triggering a formal investigation into alleged disturbances from the venue.
Residents told Liquor and Gaming the “excessive noise” from the venue could be heard “every week” including from inside the venue and patrons drinking on a former bowling green converted to an outdoor dining and drinking area.
In their complaint, residents claimed disturbances also included noise from intoxication patrons, as well as “indecent” and “quarrelsome” conduct.
Their complaint further claimed the club had “changed its business model” since the easing of Covid-19 restrictions and now operates as a live music venue – as well as hosting noisy “boxing events”.
Residents called for “dramatic decrease” in the volume and frequency of amplified music.
Over the last two years, some homeowners have also taken their noise gripes to Newcastle Council and NSW Police – resulting in multiple inspections of the venue including 28 police visits during a 12 month period from 2021 to 2022.
In a submission to Liquor and Gaming, the club stated it takes “all complaints very seriously” and has implemented various measures to mitigate noise.
The measures included only allowing soloists or duos to perform between 2pm to 5pm on Sundays, and instructing performers to not exceed a noise limit of 80 decibels on the dancefloor.
The club’s response to the complaints further stated it has operated from the site since 1928 and has a long history of providing live music entertainment to its members.
In December, the venue was granted approval by Newcastle Council for the provision of entertainment including formalising the use of the outdoor area for amplified music performances.
The council’s approval came with a list of strict conditions including a requirement to construct a partially enclosed area using specific acoustic materials with outdoor live entertainment confined to this space.
The council also imposed limits on maximum patron numbers, a requirement to conduct further noise monitoring, and a requirement to prepare and implement a venue management plan.
Liquor and Gaming NSW, which handed down its findings into resident complaints last week, found the club “had at times unduly disturbed the quiet and good order of the neighbourhood.”
But the investigation also found a “level of disturbance from the normal operation of the club is to be expected, including noise from live entertainment, patrons and pedestrian traffic.”
Liquor and Gaming’s executive director of regulatory operations and enforcement Jane Lin opted not to impose any further licensing conditions on the venue - noting there were already “extensive measures” imposed by the council in the approval of the outdoor entertainment area.
Ms Lin said the measures would “allow the club to provide entertainment without causing undue disturbance.”
“There is sufficient evidence to conclude that suitable controls are now in place to address the risk of disturbance from the club and I consider it would be overly burdensome for Liquor and Gaming to impose additional regulatory measures in this context,” she said.
The decision comes after the state government announced plans to introduce new laws protecting entertainment venues from the threat of noise complaints.
Planning Minister John Graham said the changes would end the “NSW sport of a single neighbour (with) serial complaints” shutting down venues.
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