Nightclub bid in jeopardy

WA’S liquor licensing body is expected to end The Royal Palms Resort’s nightclub bid after receivers were called into the company recently.

Department of Racing Gaming and Liquor spokesman Gary McHugh confirmed the department was looking into the resort’s application and said those lodged by companies which went into receivership would become null and void.

“Any company that wanted to apply for a licence in the future would have to start the process again,” Mr McHugh said.

The cancellation would void a year’s effort by the resort to operate past 1am and become Busselton’s only nightclub operator.

The Department of Racing Gaming and Liquor declined to discuss individual licence applications but resort manager Lara Berryman said she believed the licence had been put on hold and was doubtful the application could still progress.

Ms Berryman said applying for a nightclub licence had been a long process, involving applications to Busselton Shire Council and the department, and she was disappointed to see it end.

“It’s been devastating because I had put so much effort in,” she said.

Ms Berryman said receivers KordaMentha were continuing to operate the company after being appointed in May but it appeared the resort’s Perth parent company Hillstek Holdings would have no further involvement in the resort.

“I don’t think they’ll get the business back,” she said.

The resort operates until 1am on Saturdays and Sundays and applied to extend its opening hours until 2am to create revenue to fund major bands and acts.

Ms Berryman said she still believed the town needed a nightclub and hoped a proposal could progress either at the resort or by another venue.

She said any new application would depend on the intentions of a buyer for the resort.

Previous manager JK Daha, whose family operate Hillstek Holdings, had previously told the Times he hoped to have the licence operating by December last year.

A previous proposal to operate a nightclub on Queen Street was knocked back by council in 2008.

The proposed proponent Jason Anderson told the Times this year he was keeping an open mind about the plans.

Mr Anderson did not respond to the Times’ calls this week.