South Melbourne swingers club could become tourism hotspot, owners say
The team behind an R-rated plan to open a swingers club in the heart of South Melbourne has hit back at critics, saying its venture will turn the area into a tourism hot spot.
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The team behind the plan to open a 200-person swingers club in South Melbourne has hit back at critics, saying its proposal could transform the area into a tourist mecca.
Pineapples Lifestyle Bar has been given the green light to open the X-rated venue on City Rd later this year in a move that sparked backlash from a group of concerned business owners and residents.
But Pineapples has lashed critics who branded its proposed venue a “dirty swingers club”, arguing it would instead promote “respect, equality and inclusion” among new visitors to the area.
The business said it expects patrons to travel “from all over Victoria and Australia-wide” to experience the club, adding they would likely stay the night in local accommodation and enjoy cafes and restaurants in the area, including South Melbourne Market.
“It will entice guests to visit the region, creating new employment and generating benefits for the staff we hire and other businesses in the local area,” a Pineapples spokesman said in a statement.
“We will add connectivity, diversity, innovation, excitement, belonging and financial prosperity to the local area.”
Tony Baenziger, owner of Baenziger Coles architecture firm next door, last week told the Herald Sun he feared the business would negatively impact the area, where several adult venues such as brothels were already located.
“There are apartments, there’s a primary school, there’s churches, there’s parks. There’s all sorts of things that just really make this a bit of an unsavoury type of business to have in this area,” he said last week.
“I don’t have a problem with someone running a business like that … but there are residences very close to this.”
Port Phillip City Council gave the proposal the go-ahead at a council meeting last month, with five out of eight councillors voting in favour of a permit.
But weeks later, angry locals applied to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to have the decision to grant a planning permit reviewed.
A fundraiser organised by Mr Baenziger has so far raised just $1080 of its $10,000 target, with the funds to pay for planning experts in their bid to thwart the development.
The Pineapples spokesman said the team would not back down on its plans to open the club, which it is hoping to unveil in November.
“We will be fighting for our vision to create Melbourne’s premier purpose-built adult playground for the growing number of mature, consenting adults who would like to experience something more than a vanilla lifestyle,” he said.
Under the planning permit, the club can cater for up to 200 guests during events from Thursdays to Saturdays between 6pm and 2am, while only 20 patrons will be allowed for OnlyFans, Instagram and TikTok “content creation” between 10am and 6pm.
“We anticipate we will rarely reach full capacity, mostly for special one-off events a few times a year,” the spokesman said.
“The number of patrons on an average night will be much closer to 40 to 60 guests.”
He added that the business has been “professional, inclusive and community-focused” throughout the planning process, having “listened to all concerns” raised by locals.
“We respect locals’ concerns and want our venue to fit in with the character of the area,” he said, noting the site was located in an industrial, not residential, zone.
“This is why the number of people against our plans has reduced to a small group who simply disagree with our chosen consensual lifestyle.”
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Originally published as South Melbourne swingers club could become tourism hotspot, owners say
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