‘Put moral concerns to one side’: Locals outraged as Melbourne council approves 200-person sex club

A proposal to build a 200-person swingers club in the heart of Melbourne has sparked furious pushback from locals.

A proposal to build a 200-person swingers club in the heart of Melbourne has sparked furious pushback from local residents and businesses, who have raised safety concerns and fear their neighbourhood will become an “epicentre” of seedy sex establishments.

But councillors who approved the development application for the “sex-on-premise” venue have hit back at the “moralising” of those opposed to the plan, with one raising eyebrows after revealing several former council members were known to attend a similar club.

Pineapples Lifestyle Bar was granted approval last month by Port Phillip Council for the proposed venue at 427 City Road in South Melbourne, despite “numerous” objections from locals who are now challenging the decision in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).

The vacant two-storey building is on a small triangular block bounded by City Road, York Street and Ferrars Street, a “remnant piece” of industrial-zoned land which is likely to be reclassified as mixed-use under a wider proposal being considered in August.

The site of a proposed 200-person swingers club on City Road. Picture: Supplied

Under the plan, first lodged in January, the site will be transformed into an “adult lifestyle meeting place” with a bar, live music entertainment, and private and public sex rooms.

The proposal allows for up to 200 patrons from 6pm to 2am, seven days a week, but only 20 patrons during the day. At least six staff, including security, must be on site during peak hours.

The Herald Sun reports the venue is also likely to be used for “content creation”, including pornography production, during the day before hosting ticketed adults-only events at night.

Pineapples Lifestyle Bar, which is hoping to open in November, says on its website that it provides an “inclusive, sensual and free-spirited experience” with a “purpose-built venue … designed to elevate hedonistic events to a never-before-seen level of sophistication, arousal and titillation”.

“Our thorough screening, couching and unique introduction process ensures only the most respectful, consent-focused and diversely inclusive people attend our events,” it says.

“We have zero tolerance for drugs, excessive drinking, rude, obnoxious or overly intoxicated behaviour, ensuring our growing community feels comfortable being themselves and are eager to return.”

Local architect Tony Baenziger, 64, who has an office two doors up and is leading the campaign against the club, said it was “absolutely bizarre” that the planning application was assessed on the current industrial zoning when council would be considering rezoning the area in less than a month.

Sue Coles and Tony Baenziger of Baenziger Coles Architecture. Picture: Supplied

“These venues are considered OK in industrial areas, but the point we’re making is this is no longer an industrial area,” Mr Baenziger said.

“I don’t want to be judgmental about the business. It’s hard not to be, I guess — it’s not really my cup of tea. The point from our perspective is this is not the right location. Residents are fearful for their safety, apart from other distractions like noise and rubbish. We just don’t see it as appropriate.”

Mr Baenziger said the “remnant piece of industrial-zoned land” was an “anomaly they’ve stumbled across that gives them this opportunity”.

“If they had to set up in an industrial area they would have to go way outside the bounds of the city,” he said. “The only reason this group have sought to locate here is because it’s advantageous to them. They’ve been very clever.”

He claimed the area already had “massage parlours springing up like weeds everywhere” and “we fear it’s going to become an epicentre” for adult businesses.

Sex work was decriminalised in Victoria in 2022 and brothels are now classified as shops under planning regulations. Council noted Pineapples Lifestyle Bar would need to apply for a separate planning permit to turn the site into a brothel.

A petition objecting to the establishment of the swingers club has attracted nearly 350 signatures, and locals have launched a fundraising campaign to support the VCAT challenge which has raised more than $1000 out of a $10,000 goal as of Tuesday.

Locals are challenging the decision with VCAT. Picture: Supplied

“This location is entirely inappropriate for such a venue, given its proximity to residential areas, schools, and family-oriented businesses,” the petition states.

“Despite numerous objections from local residents and business owners, the council has granted a permit that disregards the character and values of our neighbourhood and what the area should try to aspire to in the future.”

More than 30 business owners and residents voiced objections prior to the decision.

Port Phillip Council approved the proposal by a 5-3 vote last month, supporting the recommendation of its planning department.

Deputy Mayor Louise Crawford and councillors Tim Baxter, Andrew Bond, Peter Martin and Robbie Nyaguy voted in favour, while Mayor Heather Cunsolo and councillors Marcus Pearl and Christina Sirakoff voted against.

The planning permit was granted subject to a number of conditions including seating for a minimum of 100 patrons, internal waste storage, “acoustically treated doors” and “noise vibration testing” prior to opening.

Two one-hour street parking spaces outside the venue will be reallocated as 10- or 15-minute short-stay spaces from 6pm to 8am, remaining one-hour from 8am to 6am.

The traffic department had recommended reducing the maximum number of patrons to 150 to reduce local parking impacts, but council instead approved the 200-person limit.

During the June 19 meeting, a number of councillors in favour of the plan admonished opponents for “moralising” against the business.

“Just to make clear, we’re making the decision based on planning rules, not around opinions … we can’t take into consideration whether the kind of business is up our alley or whatever,” Cr Crawford said.

The venue is hoping to open in November. Picture: Pineapples Lifestyle Bar

“I’m actually horrified … whatever your view of the business itself, this is an industrial area which is a perfect place for an entertainment venue which this is. It may not be your cup of tea or up your alley, that’s your business, but we are making a planning decision.

“If you can’t have it in Middle Park and you can’t have it in St Kilda, where on earth can you have it?”

She added there were swingers clubs “in all corners of the world”, including other venues nearby, “and most of it is highly discreet”.

“The people that go there are not the drunken idiots who are causing problems that perhaps some of the other entertainment venues have,” she said. “It’s not about moralising on the actual business.”

Cr Nyaguy insisted “ultimately this is an appropriate location and I think the various conditions and requirements on this permit are entirely reasonable and I’d be happy to see it operating seven days a week”.

“On the moralising aspect of this, I do occasionally go to sex-on-premise venues and having gone to a lot of pubs also, they are the quieter venues,” he told the meeting.

“Most people are not necessarily broadcasting their attendance, but they’re also usually not consuming the quantity of alcohol and drugs you might see at other venues.”

He argued the “amenity concerns people might have are usually unfounded and I certainly haven’t heard of any complaints about the numerous venues we have across the City of Port Phillip in my time on council”.

“I think we really need to put some of the moral concerns to one side and ultimately look at this soberly as a planning application,” he said.

Robbie Nyaguy, Heather Cunsolo and Andrew Bond. Picture: Port Phillip Council

Cr Bond cited a similar, since-closed venue, Abode on nearby Martin Street in St Kilda, which “operated for 20-plus years [and] never had one complaint”.

“I am aware of many years ago one councillor walking in there and being very surprised to see another councillor in there,” he said. “None of those councillors are currently on council. I won’t provide names.”

But Cr Sirakoff said she supported residents’ concerns.

“This is where they live, and this is going to impact upon them,” she said.

“They’re going to be walking the streets, whether it’s in the morning, afternoon and into the evening. It is designated as an industrial zone at the moment but it will be changing to more of a residential slash retail area. I don’t think we should lock in what’s going to happen here because the dynamics of the area will be changing.”

With an expected 80,000 people moving into the Fishermans Bend area and surrounds by 2050 under the state government’s CBD urban renewal project, Cr Sirakoff argued “we should be thinking of the future and how this area will work”.

“I’ve got nothing against people’s activities but I just don’t think this is the right area,” she said.

The application for review was lodged with VCAT earlier this month.

In a statement, Cr Cunsolo said council was “aware of a VCAT appeal” to the decision.

“Our council will advocate at VCAT for its decision to grant a planning permit for 427 City Road, South Melbourne, to be used for an adult lifestyle meeting place,” she said.

“The council report … provides the reasoning for the decision, which although wasn’t unanimous, was supported by a majority of councillors.”

In a lengthy statement on Tuesday, Pineapples Lifestyle Bar said the venue would provide “benefits to the local area and broader community” and that a “small number of people” who “simply disagree with our chosen consensual lifestyle” were “attempting to block our plan to open our safe, welcoming and inclusive club”.

“There will be no judgements, or labels, or stereotypes, or bigoted views still encountered way too often in today’s society,” the statement said.

“Our goal is to provide a venue for our discerning guests to express their true selves in their own unique, sexually liberated way. We respect locals’ concerns and want our venue to fit in with the character of the area.”

The venue would “rarely reach full capacity”, mostly for special one-off events a few times a year, and the number of patrons on an average night would be closer to 40 to 60, the statement added.

Pineapples Lifestyle Bar said it expected VCAT to decide in its favour.

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