Historic Sydney pubs under threat from ‘nanny state’
A group of historic Sydney pubs say they are under threat from the city’s growing number of new apartments and their owners.
Despite serving patrons drinks for a combined 500 years between them, the hotels say the NUMBY (Not Under My Balcony Yuppy) brigade and “nanny state” are threatening their livelihood.
Royal Oak Hotel
The 145-year-old Royal Oak Hotel in Double Bay is calling on the public to fight the “nanny state” bans after Woollahra Council ordered the hotel to stop patrons drinking a beer on tables out the front unless they’re eating a meal at the same time, because of noise complaints from neighbouring apartment residents.
Kings Cross Hotel
The owner of the 107-year-old Kings Cross Hotel are also fighting the powers that be after being told by Sydney City Council to close down its rooftop because newly moved in residents complained the pub is too noisy.
Hospitality group Solotel has refused to obey a 28-day rooftop trading ban, which was supposed to start two weeks ago, and has instead decided to bring in the heavy legal guns to fight the ban.
“Our rights over the use of our wonderful old hotel cease to exist as soon as apartment opens next door,” Solotel CEO Justine Baker told the Daily Telegraph.
Australian Hotels Association (AHA) NSW Director of Liquor and Policing John Green said people “need to understand a pub is a pub”.
“Generally speaking, the idea a person can move in next to a pub that’s been part of local culture since the 1800s and not only complain about noise, but actually have some success in changing longstanding practices which impact many people should be a joke, but sadly the reality is that it’s all too often true,” Green said.
19th February 2019
