Gold Coast City Council locked in ‘legal stand-off’ with controversial Surfers Paradise party venue
A Gold Coast councillor says the city is in a ‘legal stand-off’ with a Surfers Paradise venue. Find out why and what it means for revellers.
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A Gold Coast councillor says the city is in a “legal stand-off” with a controversial Surfers Paradise venue accused of “trading as a nightclub”.
Last week, it was reported Gold Coast City Council had issued a show cause notice to Casablanca for allegedly “trading as a nightclub” despite development approval requiring it to operate as a hotel.
The venue operator was given until October 2 to formally respond to the show cause notice.
Area councillor Darren Taylor said he was given an update on the matter on Wednesday.
“It’s basically a legal stand-off at the moment. We’re standing our ground, they have replied (to the show cause notice) and we will be formally going back to them at some point,” he said.
“We have responded back accordingly saying we don’t agree with them.
“There is a legal process now that we need to follow correctly. Our position hasn’t changed.”
Casablanca director Alex Said was contacted for comment but declined.
Mr Said has maintained his venue is operating as a hotel, not a nightclub.
“The response has already been given to council that we are not operating as a nightclub,” he said last week.
“It’s their due (process). I have made it very clear that we’re not trading as a nightclub.”
Cr Taylor said he expected to receive another update on the matter next week and the venue would be allowed to continue trading “at this moment”.
Casablanca has been the subject of controversy over several months and copped a flood of noise complaints from nearby residents before it even opened on July 1.
In June, disgruntled Surfers Paradise residents revealed their plans to take their fight against the venue to a civil disputes tribunal.
Dozens of people objected to Casablanca being granted a commercial hotel liquor licence because they believed it was being promoted as a nightclub, which prompted a warning from the council.
An Office of Liquor and Gaming spokeswoman said compliance officers regularly conducted liquor and gaming inspections at licensed premises.
“Due to the confidentiality provisions of the Liquor Act, OLGR cannot provide specific information about its complaints or outcomes, unless they are on the public record,” she said.
According to Business Queensland, a commercial hotel licence allows a business to sell alcohol for consumption either on the premises or on and off.
This type of licence is required to run a hotel or tavern.
Alternatively, a nightclub licence is needed when the main function of a business is to provide entertainment, it stated.
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