By Campbell Spence
Angry residents have lodged an objection to the Victorian Civil and Arbitration Tribunal opposing the development of a 200-person swingers club at 427 City Road in South Melbourne.
A 200-person swingers club was granted a planning permit by the Port Phillip Council to operate between 10am and 2am. The "sex on premises" venue is planned to open in November at a vacant two storey property (pictured above) as an adults only venue, complete with a bar and live music.
Pineapples Lifestyle Bar is described as a “purpose-built adult playground" where customers can enjoy private and public rooms. The venue is also being promoted for "content creation” at a discounted rate during the day.
Despite more than 30 business owners and residents objecting to the location of the swingers club near residential properties, a school, park and a church, the majority of Councillors voted to grant a permit:
For: Cr Crawford, Baxter, Bond, Martin, Nyaguy,
Against: Cr Cunsolo, Pearl and Sirakoff
Cr Crawford, Deputy Mayor justified her support for granting the permit by referring to the zoning of the area as “industrial”. But this zoning is out-of-date and ignores the fact the area contains mainly professional commercial and retail businesses and is also expected to be re-zoned in the very near future and possibly as “mixed use”.
The amenity of residents and business owners is likely to be impacted by patrons looking for already limited car parking as well as vehicle and patron noise late at night.
Tony Baenziger, owner of nearby architecture firm Baenziger Coles, said he feared the development could have a "detrimental effect" on South Melbourne, where there were already several brothels and adult entertainment venues.
“We're already becoming a bit of an epicentre of sexually orientated businesses" he said. “This is a commercial business area with existing residences and apartments, several primary schools, a church, a community centre and a park nearby. I don’t have a problem with that type of business per se but is needs to be located in an appropriate location and not near residences.”
“I don’t think the proprietors would like it if a swingers club opened next to their own homes”.
Yasmine Wallace, a resident who lives close to the planned swingers club and existing massage parlours, said “I have never felt more unsafe. I have been the frequent target of unprovoked sexist and racist attacks, culminating in myself needing to seek help from strangers to keep safe”.
“City Road has become more and more dangerous, my 10-year-old daughter and I were recently witnesses to a security guard being bashed at Woolworths. I am speaking out, because I want my daughter to grow up in a safe and liveable city.”
Yasmine noted that “the owners want to turn this area into a tourism hot spot. I am concerned that this will attract even more dangerous people, who could turn aggressive against the local community. My family and I live only 49 meters away, and don’t have the luxury of saying she’ll be right because, honestly, we don’t believe it will be.”
Locals have lodged an appeal against Council’s decision to issue a permit with VCAT and have launched a petition to gain community support and to inform the public and have also opened a GoFundMe page to help fund the legal fight.
https://www.change.org/notoswingersclub
https://www.gofundme.com/f/notoswingersclub
