Queens Wharf Hotel: Newcastle brewery celebrates a win after ‘NIMBYs’ lose noise complaint

A popular Newcastle drinking spot has claimed a ‘NIMBY-noise-win’ after NSW Liquor & Gaming gave its verdict over the venue’s live music. See which waterfront venue.

Queens Wharf Brewery Hotel, Newcastle. Picture: Facebook

A popular Newcastle drinking spot has claimed a ‘NIMBY-noise-win’ after NSW Liquor & Gaming ruled in its favour over complaints about the venue’s live music.

The state’s liquor authority found Queens Wharf Brewery Hotel – a late-night, student-loved waterfront venue in the Steel City – passed the pub test after neighbours complained about “offensive noise”.

NSW Liquor and Gaming recently confirmed it would take no action against the brewery and found its music was neither “undue” nor “disturbed the neighbourhood”.

“I am not satisfied there is sufficient evidence to conclude that the hotel has caused undue disturbance to the quiet and good order of the neighbourhood,” liquor and gaming executive director Jane Lin said, who confirmed no action would be taken.

“(There is no evidence) the disturbance was attributable to the hotel, or that it reached the threshold of undue.”

Queen's Wharf Hotel, Newcastle. Picture: Google Maps

The venue boasts “million-dollar views”, its website claims, and hosts bands and DJs on its wharf-side outdoor bar.

The complainant had been “monitoring” noise levels from the hotel, submitting 34 audio recordings taken from their property, submitting them to Liquor & Gaming.

They argued the music constituted “offensive” and “excessive” noise, alleging it was a breach of the hotel’s development application.

Queens Wharf Brewery Hotel, Newcastle. Picture: Facebook

The brewery – whose outdoor area is open until 10pm, except on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, when it is open until midnight – said it installed a noise limiter, in accordance with a previous condition, and conducted hourly tests to ensure it didn’t breach the maximum decibels.

Shotters Lawyers, on behalf of the licensee, noted the hotel had been operating from the site since 1988 and how it denied breaching its noise condition or producing “excessive noise”.

Liquor & Gaming’s Ms Lin ruled in favour of the hotel, believing the audio recordings didn’t constitute evidence of undue disturbance, given they were recorded on a mobile phone.

Ms Lin also noted the hotel’s noise level records, taken from the noise limiter, were “persuasive”.

The pub did reveal it had received two “minor” complaints, made to Newcastle City Council, over the last two years, revolving around the location of its outdoor speakers, although no further action was taken.