Kirra residents on extended pub hours: ‘We don’t this to become another Surfers Paradise’

A bid by the Kirra Beach Hotel to trade later has angered some southern Gold Coasters. Find out what the bar is pushing for.

Residents have launched a campaign to stop extending trading hours at the Kirra Beach Hotel saying they don’t want the southern Gold Coast “to become another Surfers Paradise”.

But the hotelier has responded by saying liquor hours for existing taverns along the southern coastal strip continue to the early hours and the new licence was a back-up for special events.

Save Our Southern Gold Coast on its Facebook page has published the extended trading hours application by the Kirra Beach Hotel in Marine Parade. The application requests an extension from a midnight close, Monday to Sunday, to go to 2am.

Locals head into Kirra Beach Hotel for opening day

Kath Down, the group’s leader, on Tuesday started up a petition opposing the extension, aware submissions to Liquor Licensing close on July 11.

Ms Down said the extended hours would be for the existing bar and worsen noise for local residents already impacted by development on several towers being buit on the site.

“The noise is a nightmare. People are not sleeping, and now they want to introduce 2am trading,” Ms Down said.

“People are having a difficult time of life down there. There’s so much development. We don’t want Kirra to become another Surfers Paradise.”

Some residents on the Facebook page believe existing 10am-midnight trading was enough and fear anti-social behaviour by “more drunks rolling out and walking around the area”.

Kath Down from Save Our Southern Gold Coast.

“Nothing good happens after midnight. End of story,” a resident wrote.

Another resident was critical of the design of the hotel with its open street-front windows.

“Televisions with sport and music playing on the front really loud. The old pub was brick and would have been somewhat insulated,” a resident wrote.

Publican Greg Hodge said the application would enable the venue to fall in line with others including two hotels at Coolangatta and the Tugun pub which had a 2am close.

“We are just going in step with them. The demographic has changed down there, we have to move with it,” Mr Hodge said.

But he said the decision to continue trade to 2am, if the licence was granted, was not automatic and depend on circumstances.

“It’s something we have to have if we have a lot of people on site,” he said.

Publican Greg Hodge — “We do our due diligence, in terms of security and keeping an eye on noise”. Picture: Glenn Campbell.

“We do our due diligence, in terms of security and keeping an eye on noise. We’ve had all acoustic reports done. We will use it for special occasions.”

A majority of councillors last year approved the $350 million Kirra redevelopment despite a strong protest from neighbouring residents.

Stage one of the project, a 16-level building, was already underway. The developer sought to increase the height of building two from 10 storeys to 13 storeys and building three from four storeys to seven.

More than 150 residents had signed a petition opposing it.

Developers KTQ Group, in April, welcomed its first guests to the luxury Kirra Point Holiday Apartments which boasts $4 million units.

The precinct took off the previous November with the opening of Kirra Beach Hotel along with other commercial outlets including a barista, barber and beach cellars.

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Originally published as Kirra residents on extended pub hours: ‘We don’t this to become another Surfers Paradise’