Landlord Shane Dignan responds to Throb Nightclub closure

An emergency order issues to the building that houses a popular nightclub and other hospitality venues has been issued. Read how the owner responded.

Throb Nightclub in Darwin has been forced to close this weekend.

An emergency order has been issued to popular nightclub Throb after a site inspection on August 28 revealed “fire safety hazards, non-compliances and unauthorised building works including the removal of walls”.

The order was issued by Director of Building Control Mark Meldrum and cites section 100(1) of The Building Act 1993.

It was put up on display in the club’s shop window on Thursday.

The building located at 1 Edmund Street includes Throb, the former Meraki restaurant and a cafe space.

An Emergency Order has been issued to Darwin's popular Throb Nightclub on Smith Street after a site inspection revealed "fire safety hazards, non-compliances and unauthorized building works including the removal of walls". Picture: Zayda Dollie

All three have now been closed to the public and cannot be occupied.

The emergency order is addressed to Solis Real Estate, a subsidiary of the Halikos Group headed by managing director Shane Dignan.

Mr Dignan said his company was reacting “immediately to the required actions” under the order.

While Meraki restaurant has remained closed since January this year citing “serious water damage”, Throb continued to operate up until this month.

Throb’s closure comes on the back of what owner and licensee Tim Palmer describes as an “impasse with our landlord”.

In a video posted on the nightclub’s social media page last month, Mr Palmer describes the club experiencing a “tough year” with heavy rain last year flooding the premises and destroying the walls and roof.

It is understood this led to a temporary closure and a dispute over the liability of the repair costs.

“They are refusing to even speak to us about our lease until we have paid back rent,” Mr Palmer said in a TikTok video posted days before the emergency order was issued.

“I am refusing to pay because of the 20 odd thousand dollars it’s cost us in legal fees to battle them for the last 8 months to even stay in the venue.”

Throb has been in Darwin for the past 23 years and was Darwin’s first LGBTQIA+ space and Australia’s second-oldest venue.

The owners of the property and the property managers have been given 30 days to action the emergency notice.

Mr Palmer has been contacted with questions about the most recent development.