A single infuriating image is proof that a small minority of whining Aussies are ruining it for everyone else.Noise complaints before the sun has set, bans on mirror balls, residents of newly built apartments whining about 100-year pubs and whole venues shuttered after one complaint.
The eventual repeal of the controversial ‘lockout law’, which contributed to the closure of up to 200 licenced venues across Sydney over several years, and a flurry of entertainment reforms gave hope that change had finally come.– who lives 600m away on the other side of a golf course, and despite some 130 submissions in favour of the move – show there’s more work to do.
An aerial shot of the Joey, showing its secluded position on the peninsula. Picture: Instagram/@thejoeyboathouse A pub’s resident cockatoo was one of several gripes from a single neighbour that landed Friend in Hand in Glebe in trouble. Picture: Sam Ruttyn Ms Avron faced threats of criminal proceedings and a licence suspension, was told to install soundproofing costing upwards of $250,000, and prevented from staging some live music events.
In 2022, authorities imposed restrictions on the Cliff Dive nightclub, located just off the famous Oxford Street in Darlinghurst and within the designated CBD Entertainment Precinct. That same year, the historic Native Rose Hotel in Rozelle – a 140-year-old pub – shut down after incessant noise complaints from one neighbour relating to its beer garden.
Residents of a new apartment building successfully complained about noise from the Kings Cross Hotel, forcing the closure of its rooftop for a period of time. Picture: Damian Shaw “Apparently the ‘metal balls clanking’ were disturbing the neighbours in the already ghastly neighbourhood,” the pub wrote on Facebook at the time.”
That same year, owners of Enmore venue Hideaway Bar were dismayed to receive a warning by police over a noise complaint made at 7pm on a Saturday night.“What we need is clear objective requirements for sound, which would protect both venues and the community around them, backed with standard statewide policies for assessment,” he said.
Premier Chris Minns also announced new “order of occupancy” rules, meaning existing venues can’t be hit by new neighbours’ complaints “because all of a sudden they don’t like to have noise in the evening”.