NIMBYS forced to enter entertainment zones with “eyes wide open”

Paperwork for properties in entertainment hubs will be changed to stop NIMBYS moving into a night-life hub then trying to kill the vibe.

Homebuyers and would-be tenants looking to move into entertainment hotspots will be forced to acknowledge that they are moving into an area of late-night activity, in a bid to stop NIMBYS moving into night-life hubs then killing the vibe.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal that an “eyes wide open” clause will be inserted into official paperwork for homes and apartments in late night entertainment hubs, to discourage noise complaints against new venues.

In one night-life hub, a new venue has been getting a noise complaint every week for almost six months – even though the bar is in an area specifically zoned for 24-hour trade.

The new rules will apply in “special entertainment precincts,” where there is less red tape to encourage more night-life.

Cabinet ministers signed off on the changes last night, ahead of a new tranche of “vibrancy reforms” being put to state parliament on Tuesday.

Cabinet ministers have signed off on the next tranche of vibrancy reforms by Premier Chris Minns and Minister John Graham. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Under those reforms, the government will announce a $1 million grant program encouraging councils to establish their own special entertainment precincts.

Those looking to move into night-life hubs will need to acknowledge a clause on official paperwork noting that the area is a late-night entertainment zone.

While people will still have a right to complain, the changes will prevent someone moving into an entertainment zone and then claiming the late-night activity took them by surprise.

Odd Culture CEO James Thorpe says his new venue Pleasure Club - in an area zoned for 24 hour trade - has been getting noise complaints every week for almost six months. Picture: Richard Dobson

The changes build on previous reforms which make it harder for new residents to complain about venues, like pubs, that have been in the area for decades.

The “eyes wide open” clause is designed to help new venues get off the ground in established entertainment zones.

One venue operator, Odd Culture CEO James Thorpe, has been battling a noise complaint every week for almost six months, even though his Pleasure Club venue is soundproof and on a street zoned for 24 hour trade.

Odd Culture Group’s Pleasure Club has been visited by four different agencies policing noise complaints. Picture: Supplied

Pleasure Club is the only venue to have received a 4am licence in the inner Sydney suburb of Newtown in more than 100 years.

The late-night bar and live music venue operates in a tiny pocket of the City of Sydney specifically designed for 24-hour trading.

Despite that, one of the two residential apartments nearby started lodging weekly complaints three months after Pleasure Club opened.

James Thorpe’s Pleasure Club was the first venue in more than 100 years to get a 4am licence in Newtown. Picture: Richard Dobson

“Pleasure Club’s located in a basement with an acoustic wall sound lock, so you can’t hear any sound at all from out on the street; they are a building across and three levels up from where we,” Mr Thorpe said.

“They won’t let us into their place to have a look at where they think sounds coming from, they won’t speak to us, and they’ve just began harassing our staff out in the street.”

Mr Thorpe said the special entertainment zones had been a boon for the night-time economy, and called on more councils to declare areas off limits to NIMBYS.

Odd Culture Group’s basement cocktail bar and live music haunt, Pleasure Club, in Newtown, is open until 4am. Picture: Supplied

“The government has done really great work in the special entertainment precinct space … What we need now is councils to adopt it.”

The second round of vibrancy reforms will also cut “baffling” restrictions on venues including “no entertainment” clauses, or clauses which restricted pubs to having cover bands only.

The reforms will also finally clear a hangover from the Covid pandemic preventing venues from having streetside beer gardens and allowing patrons to stand while drinking.

Premier Chris Minns (centre) and Night Time Economy Minister John Graham are vowing to make it easier for late-night venues. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Premier Chris Minns said his government was “determined to build vibrant communities” around new and existing homes.

“From binning restrictions on outdoor dining to encouraging more local entertainment zones, our reforms back in live music and will help get Sydney’s night life going again.”

Night-time Economy Minister John Graham said the second tranche of vibrancy reforms will cut red tape that has “strangled night-life over time”.

“We are rebuilding Sydney and regional centres across the state neighbourhood by neighbourhood and giving councils the tools to use the special entertainment precinct model,” he said.

“People moving into an established entertainment zone will now do so with their eyes wide open through property search documents and we expect this will reduce conflict between neighbours and venues over time.”

Originally published as NIMBYS forced to enter entertainment zones with “eyes wide open”