Botanica Bar in Hobart could extend opening hours until 5am

A Salamanca bar is hoping to keep the good times going into the early morning. Here’s what they want approval for.

Botanica Bar in Salamanca. Image: The Mercury.

Late night party animals in Salamanca could soon have the option to kick on into the early hours of the morning in the entertainment precinct, as a Hobart bar seeks to extend its opening hours to 5am.

Botanica Bar in Salamanca Square is currently approved to operate until 3am, but it’s lodged an application to extend its hours on Fridays and Saturdays, along with certain holidays that fall on other days of the week.

If approved the change to the closing time would make the bar the latest operating venue in Salamanca.

According to their online operating hours, Brick Factory is open until 3am at the latest, Grape is open as late as 4am and Cargo is also until 4am.

On the Hobart waterfront, Muse, formerly OBar, is open until 5am.

Botanica has provided the council with a noise management plan (NMP), which says it doesn’t expect the additional hours will affect nearby hotels or apartments.

“Current operations do not cause complaints from the neighbouring sensitive uses, suggesting that the mitigation measures recommended in the NMP have been consistently implemented and have resulted in noise levels considered to be acceptable at the surrounding residences,” the plan said.

Botanica Bar in Salamanca. Image: The Mercury.

“Therefore, the proposed extension of operating hours, extending the bar’s closing time to 5am, is unlikely to have an adverse impact on the amenity of surrounding residents and hotels providing the recommendations within the NMP are also implemented within the extended hours of 3am to 5am.”

The planner said the business would discuss any issues, should they arise.

“Botanica maintains open communication channels with surrounding residents and hotels,” they said in the plan.

“This ensures that any issues that arise are dealt with in a timely manner to ensure that the amenity of surroundings residences is protected.”

City of Hobart acting city life director Karen Abey said the council had only received a handful of noise complaints about the Salamanca entertainment precinct in the past year.

“Over the past 12 months, the environmental health unit has received four complaints regarding music from outdoor speakers in Salamanca and Salamanca Square,” she said.

“The complaints primarily pertained to volume issues, with one complaint relating to music being played beyond permitted time frames.

“There have been no complaints about ‘dance music’ or live bands from nightclubs/pubs in the Salamanca area during the same period.”

The plan is available for public viewing via the City of Hobart website until May 15.

Originally published as Botanica Bar in Hobart could extend opening hours until 5am