An angry resident of one of Australia’s richest suburbs says the noise of people eating in a restaurant and an entire golf course 600 meters away would ruin his peace and quiet.
Stephen Jones later prevented The Joey in Palm Beach, the billionaire’s beachside retreat at the tip of Sydney’s northern beaches, from operating.
But that has angered other residents who support the restaurant, also known as Barrenjoey Boatshed, who stress that it is more than half a kilometer from its nearest neighbor.
More than 130 locals had backed the plan to extend the restaurant’s opening hours to 11pm each night, from 7am to 4pm daily and 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. during summer time.
Co-owners Ben May and Rob Domjen recently spent $7 million renovating the famous cafe which regularly features in Seven soap Home and Away, filmed on the nearby beach.
They changed the name of the secluded boathouse to The Joey Dining Room and Bar and applied to Northern Beaches Council to extend its opening hours.
While 132 locals submitted letters of support for the new restaurant, seven Palm Beach residents complained, causing the council to block the application.
Financial adviser Stephen Jones led the revolt against the request, saying it was “totally unreasonable” and would cause his family unbearable anxiety.
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.
The boathouse is at least 600 meters from the nearest house in Palm Beach.
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 around the room and can be heard from inside our home,” Mr. Jones said in a submission to the 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., she heard an “extremely loud noise level” from inside her home.
He claimed to hear the bass of the music, as well as the chatter of customers.
“This caused my family great anxiety,” he said.
‘I contacted the operator on numerous occasions asking him to turn down the music volume, lower the bass beat and change the music style to NO bass beat.
“The operator made no attempt to lower the music or bass volume 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 at night,” he said.
Co-owners Ben May (left) and Rob Domjen (right) recently renovated the famous cafe, opening The Joey Dining Room and Bar and asking Northern Beaches Council to extend opening hours to 11pm every night.
Another Palm Beach resident, Richard Kovacs, also opposed the proposal, stating that it would “significantly increase the noise level and disrupt the amenities of those who live and reside nearby.”
“It is a fact that when the previous operator held evening events on Friday and Saturday nights, the noise level affected local residents,” he said.
‘The Boathouse’s waterfront location amplifies the sound of the estuary beach very clearly and, consequently, the repetitive, loud and relentless sound bounces off the water and negatively impacts residents’ amenities, much more than the applicant I would admit.
“Taking into account the impact, extending operating hours by seven hours to 11pm, seven days a week, is clearly unreasonable.”
The Joey is popular with Sydneysiders and tourists alike, having been the setting for countless scenes in Home and Away.
The restaurant held an opening ceremony on February 11 from 5 to 8 p.m.
A three-person council committee rejected the application, saying it was “likely to result in unreasonable impacts on the amenity of nearby residential properties”.
Stephen Jones is one of seven Palm Beach locals who have complained about The Joey extending its opening hours.
May said he and his team have already submitted an application to the Territorial 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.
‘Seriously, it’s three or four people ruining everything by the thousands. The whole 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 its unsuccessful July 2021 objection, the venue 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 boathouse windows being kept open during evening performances.
The Boatshed recently underwent a $7 million renovation and is now known as The Joey.
May and Domjen wanted to transform the café into a place where locals could enjoy watching the sunset with a glass of wine and a plate of fresh seafood.
The lunch menu includes lobster fries, pizzas, steak, market fish and king crab pasta.
Mr Jones and the co-owners of The Joey have been contacted for further comment.