A dispute that has shaken an exclusive suburb on Sydney’s northern beaches for months has taken a dramatic turn with the sudden departure of one of its participants.
Stephen Jones later prevented The Joey in Palm Beach, the billionaire’s retreat at the tip of the northern beaches, from operating.
He was one of seven angry locals from one of Australia’s wealthiest suburbs who said the noise of people eating in a restaurant 600 meters away and an entire golf course away would ruin their peace and quiet.
But now Mr. Jones has stepped up and left, with records showing that he and his wife Susan sold their home for the not-inconsiderable sum of $9.5 million. Herald of the sun reported.
Word is that in Palmy, which is most famous around the world as the location of Summer Bay in the soap opera Home and Away, the Joneses have moved 4.5km south to Avalon Beach.
Amid a spiteful dispute worthy of one of Home and Away’s wildest plots, more than 130 locals supported the plan to extend the restaurant’s opening hours to 11 p.m. each night, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 4:00 p.m. every day and 10:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays during the day. saving time.
Co-owners Ben May and Rob Domjen spent $7 million renovating the famous cafe which regularly features on the Channel Seven show.
They renamed the secluded boathouse The Joey Dining Room and Bar and asked Northern Beaches Council to extend its opening hours.
Stephen Jones (pictured) is one of seven people who complained that The Joey in Palm Beach extended its opening hours.
Palm Beach is famous around the world for being the real location of Summer Bay in the soap opera Home and Away. Emily Weir, who plays Mackenzie Booth on the show, pictured.
While 132 locals submitted letters of support, only seven opposed it, causing the city council to block the application.
Financial adviser Mr Jones led the revolt against the request, saying it was “totally unreasonable” and would cause his family unbearable anxiety.
He said he had lived in the area for 22 years and that the late opening would cause “significant adverse acoustic impacts” on his neighbors 600 meters away, on the other side of the nine-hole golf course.
“I object … due to a significant increase in the duration of loud music and particularly the deep bass effects that reverberate through the room and can be heard from inside our home,” Jones said in a presentation to council.
‘This loud music and deep bass rhythm significantly affects our comfort and well-being. You can hear music and noise from customers inside my room.
“It is totally unreasonable that nearby residents should have to suffer noise problems because this place operates seven days a week.”
Jones said that at a wedding held on March 9 at The Joey until 10 p.m., he heard an “extremely high noise level,” including chatter from customers.
“This caused my family great anxiety,” he said.
“I contacted the operator on numerous occasions asking them to turn down the music volume, lower the bass beat, and change the music style to NO bass beat.”
But he said: “The operator made no attempt to turn down the music or bass all night and was actually quite rude in his response.”
Jones claimed that wedding guests were still outside the venue long after the wedding ended.
‘Drunk customers fighting and fighting outside the venue. “This is potentially what we’re going to have to deal with seven nights a week until 11 p.m.,” he said.
Co-owner Mr May applied to the Environment Court to have the local council’s decision overturned.
‘It’s a bit ridiculous, isn’t it? “I mean, there’s a golf course between us and these people and they’ve found reasons to have a problem with it,” he told The Today Show.
The boathouse is at least 600 meters from the nearest house in Palm Beach.
The Joey, in Palm Beach, also known as Barrenjoey Boatshed, is currently open from 7am to 4pm daily and until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays during daylight saving time.
‘Seriously, it’s three or four people ruining everything by the thousands. All of the northern beaches would have been able to enjoy this space.’
Jones had previously objected to Boatshed being able to open later on Fridays and Saturdays during daylight saving hours.
In his unsuccessful July 2021 objection, he said bands should not be allowed to play on the outdoor terrace, which should also be off-limits to customers due to noise concerns.
He also objected to the venue’s windows being kept open during evening performances.
May and Domjen wanted to transform the cafe into a place where locals could enjoy watching the sunset with a glass of wine and a plate of fresh seafood.
With the main objector, Mr Jones, now out of the picture, they will hope for a better outcome when the Land and Environment Court issues its decision, expected within weeks.
If the Joey, named after the local Barrenjoey Headland, can get a reprieve, it will go some way toward recouping the estimated $150,000 restaurateurs have already paid in legal and consulting fees.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted May and Domjen for comment.