Business
9 August, 2024
Red tape stress
A MOVE by about 100 metres has become a red tape nightmare for Conservatory Bar owner Ross Stevens.
He said his application for a new liquor licence at 21 Lake St had been met with a flat ‘no’ by Cairns Regional Council who has deemed his new premises not zoned for hospitality. Instead, he must submit a development application (DA).
For a month Mr Stevens said his emails and phone calls had not been returned as he tried to negotiate the move to a bigger venue.
“I would have liked a bit more fluid communication. We’ve been dumped for a few weeks,” he said.
Mr Stevens has escalated his plea for commonsense to council planning director Ed Johnson.
“We are moving into what was Coast Roast and then Coffee 21. It’s already been a hospitality venue,” he said.
“It’s much bigger, twice the size of the current place and, although we lose the outdoor area, most people want to be indoors, especially in the summer.”
Mr Stevens said he was frustrated and losing money, having to pay for both premises and the fees for paperwork were not cheap either.
“I can’t believe the stuffing around,” he said.
“We’re literally moving across the road. I didn’t think it would have been an issue.”
Mr Stevens said the council spruiked that they supported small business and wanted the CBD alive, yet were not helping him.
He said in four and a half years he had no problems with the council, or the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation.
“I don’t like to push the boundaries,” Mr Stevens said.
He said with his business partner they had paid $395,000 for the new venue’s freehold and the fit-out had been $50,000.
“It’s a lot of money. We’ve been paying a mortgage for four weeks and can’t trade,” he said.
“The Conservatory Bar is 10 years this year and the trajectory is good.”
Mr Stevens said the DA was costing $4000 and could take up to three months.
Mr Steven’s consultant Paul Garnham said the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation must have consent from the council.
He said the council had told him that it was “not suitable for a bar” even though it was within the Cairns entertainment zone and the SafeNight zone where there were already 11 other bars.
“Why isn’t the council supporting tourism in the CBD?,” Mr Garnham said.
He said the council was demanding a development application which was costly.
A council spokesman said officers had twice advised the proponent that the proposed site required a development application to be lodged as there were no existing use rights. “This application would likely be supported,” he said. “However, until a development application is approved, (the) council is unable to consent to a liquor licensing application”.
