Sleepless in Waverley

BY ASHLEY DEVINE
In a bid to reduce anti-social behaviour, Waverley Council has opposed a hotel’s application to extend its trading hours.

The Robin Hood Hotel, on Bronte Road, Waverley has applied to the Licensing Court for its current licensing hours to continue and for an extension from 10pm to midnight on Sundays.

The local pub also wants to extend trading hours on its outdoor smoking deck until 3am from Monday to Saturday and until midnight on Sunday.

Waverley Mayor Ingrid Strewe raised the issue as an urgent motion on May 27, after being notified by the Licensing Court. The mayor said the council would oppose this application.

‘We have the full support of Coogee MP Paul Pearce, and we have a unanimous decision from Council,’ she said. ‘All councillors agreed it was not in the community’s interest for the hotel’s outside deck area to have late night trading in a residential area. The merrier patrons get, the more residents become unwilling insomniacs.’

Cr Strewe said the link between extended trading hours and alcohol-fuelled antisocial behaviour was evident. ‘We need to nip it in the bud now, before it becomes ‘sleepless in Waverley’,’ she said.