“Absurd” noise restrictions for Noosa venues

Noosa venues subject of a recent crackdown by liquor licensing officers claim they’re being “treated differently”, with one manager resigning due to the pressure, they say.

Several Noosa venues claim they’ve been targeted in a recent liquor licensing crackdown.

There are fears a “culture crusher” crackdown is on in Noosa Heads as several popular venues have copped warnings from the state’s liquor licensing body over noise concerns.

Management at one Noosa venue claims crackdown by the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation, which provides different types of entertainment licenses and perform surprise visits to enforce them, has last week resulted in a venue manager resigning because they were “scared” and felt “too much pressure”.

“He’d never been faced with Liquor Licence and was worried to give out the wrong information,” the venue spokesman – who asked not to be identified – said.

“When they came they said we could lose our licence and they could close the venue, so the manager resigned after that.”

With over 12 years’ experience managing venues across Queensland, the spokesman said they believe Noosa venues were treated differently to those in other areas.

Google Street view of Noosa Junction.

“It’s different to they way they approach in Brisbane, even though the rules are the same,” they said.

“They should come in a more adviser way, instead of coming in as a police enforcer.

“They don’t have this power to come and say ‘oh we can close the venue’ and they’re not entitled to say that, they just scare people.”

If non compliant with complex licence stipulations, venues run the risk of receiving hefty fines of up to $20,000 for creating “unreasonable noise” or breaking other conditions.

Musician Jay Bishoff who created and ran live original music concerts Peregian Originals for 11 years, said the constant noise monitoring was “oppressive” and “absurd”.

Musician Jay Bishoff.

“It’s all about what they call noise, we call it music,” Mr Bishoff said.

“And most of the venues in Noosa do not have proper entertainment licences because they are very, very expensive.”

Another Noosa venue operator who wished to remain anonymous said a licensing amendment to an application they paid $12,000 for “was rejected after being granted by Liquor Licensing” after a sound engineer was brought in to perform “rigorous testing that’s standardised throughout Queensland”.

“The whole of Noosa Junction is commercial, with no residential whatsoever, so there should be no effect and it should go through,” the venue owner said.

“And the sound engineers are very aware of those legalities and they pay a high fee for it.”

With the current demand for live entertainment in Noosa on the rise, venues are claiming “it’s not being allowed for some reason”.

Noosa's Hastings St is under close watch.

“And it’s not from Liquor Licensing, it’s not from the standardised rules of the Queensland government, it’s something to do with Noosa Heads,” another frustrated venue owner said.

“It seems to be a Noosa issue and in other towns on the Sunshine Coast and broader Queensland these licences are permitted daily.”

The Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation states that without an entertainment licence venues are able to play music up to 75 decibels, unless they submit an acoustic report for a licence amendment.

It also states 65 – 75 decibels is equivalent to “piped restaurant music”.

Live music in Noosa Heads is in high demand.

Mr Bishoff said the noise limit “is so quiet you can’t even imagine”.

“If a few people have a laugh over a joke it goes over that,” he said.

“It’s so crazy, because I come from the USA, and we’ve never heard of this kind of thing.

“In the USA, they love music and it’s meant to be played loud, that’s just how it is, and if it’s too loud for you, just leave.

“They’ve just crushed this thing like you wouldn’t believe.”

A spokeswoman from the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation said inspections at licensed premises are conducted in accordance with the body’s proactive compliance program

“OLGR officers have conducted 228 inspections within the Sunshine Coast region from 1 July 2022 to 21 April 2023,” the spokeswoman said.

“Where OLGR identifies noncompliance with the Act, a range of remedial actions may be taken, including issuing infringement notices or prosecution.

“However generally speaking, OLGR prioritises an educative and collaborative approach, working with licensees to achieve sustainable compliance outcomes for the benefit of businesses and the community,” the spokeswoman said.

Originally published as “Absurd” noise restrictions for Noosa venues