Nightclub plans up for public approval

Busselton residents are to have their say on a nightclub proposal for the town after a formal application was submitted to the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor this week.

The Royal Palms Resort submitted an application for an extension to its liquor licence to the department this week.

If granted, it would make the resort the only nightclub in town and extend its opening hours from midnight to 3am.

The department’s director Barry Sergeant said a two-week public advertising stage would start once the application was processed.

It would be conducted in a manner “as timely as possible”.

The advertising would be conducted through local newspapers, giving residents a chance to voice their opinion on the proposal.

However, a noise management plan, a condition of Busselton Shire Council backing, has yet to receive council approval.

Shire CEO Mike Archer said the owners re-submitted the plan on Monday after feedback from council staff and the Department of Environment and Conservation.

He said staff were in the process of re-assessing the plan before it was sent to the council for comment.

“At this stage a ‘permit to use’ as a nightclub has not been issued by the shire,” he said.

The resort’s general manager, JK Daha, told the Times he was encouraged by the positive start to the application process and council’s support for the licence with the conditions attached.

“The main one is the council which they have obviously agreed to,” he said.

Mr Daha said he noticed an increase in customers at the venue during the past month.

He believed the increasing population as well as council’s consideration of city status for the shire increased the need for a nightclub.

“A lot of business people we know now want to come to Busselton so there’s a lot of people interested in the South West, there’s a massive demand (for a nightclub),” he said.

Busselton Police acting Senior Sergeant Stuart Gerreyn said police would continue to oppose the venue opening until 3am on Friday and Saturday nights because of concerns about noise, antisocial behaviour and police resourcing capabilities.