By now, it’s a well known story in Sydney. People wanting to hold onto an inner city lifestyle buy up multi million dollar terraces next door to popular pubs. Then it’s not long before they’re making noise complaints to the council and cops because little babies Xander and Chrysanthemum can’t sleep.
Overwhelmingly, the result has been said popular pub closing its doors or shutting down live music. Often after operating in that same way for decades, since well before old mates next door were even born.
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne has announced a new Good Neighbour policy to resolve noise complaints between residents and venues without closing pub doors.
The solution should be simple. If you don’t like hearing live music and people having fun, don’t buy next to a pub. And yet, this doesn’t seem to occur to some.
Well, thankfully, the Mayor of Sydney’s inner west, Darcy Byrne, has introduced a new solution that doesn’t mean just closing the doors as a first step. Taking to his Facebook page last night, Byrne announced his Good Neighbour policy. This means all complainants and pub owners have to sit down and discuss possible solutions before any legal or compliance action is issued.
He also called out NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to follow his lead and make this a standard for all councils. This is a great step towards finding a happy middle ground. Hopefully it will help make sure Sydney doesn’t lose any more of what nightlife we have left.
But also, y’know, don’t live next to a pub if you don’t like pub noise.
