Nightclub concerns dismissed

The second nightclub in development for Karratha is on track to open next year, with the developer dismissing concerns about the venue’s proximity to childcare services. The proposed venue, at the old bank building at 12 Hedland Place, is directly next to a daycare centre and opposite St Paul’s Primary School. It was approved with conditions by an 8-2 majority of City of Karratha councillors last October. The bid caused concern with the council receiving 24 submissions — all but one of which were opposed — in response to the plan. Key concerns raised to the council included the risk of loud noise, littering and an increase in antisocial behaviour, causing disruption to nearby residents and businesses. Nightclub proponent and developer Joanne Nell said the site was always zoned for a commercial entertainment venue. “The daycare next door and St Paul’s across the road, there’s no relevance to that, schools close at 2.30pm and the daycare next door closes at 1pm,” she said. Ms Nell said she was taking precautions to ensure there was no drug paraphernalia left around the venue. “There will be clean-up crews going around to make sure there are no syringes or rubbish and glass,” she said. “I can’t take responsibility for everything but to do the right thing, I will be making sure there’s no syringes and anything else lying around, which is a lot more than anyone else does,” she said. Ms Nell said it would be at least a year before the venue was open and she was in the process of obtaining the liquor licence. She said she was looking for investors to help with the project, and most of the design work for the layout had been completed. “I wasn’t going to look for investors at this stage but it’s a massive fit-out so I need to put it out there,” she said. “Depending on how long the liquor licence takes, which is always the hold-up getting liquor licensing, fit-out should be quite quick because I’ve pretty much designed everything. “Probably at least a year before it’s ready to go.” The City said when the council considered the application it imposed several conditions before development could begin to mitigate potential impacts on surrounding premises. “These conditions include an Operational Environmental Management Plan and a Noise Management Plan being submitted to and endorsed by council prior to venue operations commencing,” the City said. The nightclub would operate from 6pm-4am on Fridays and Saturdays and from 6pm-midnight on Sundays.