The disconnect between the state government’s ‘Vibrancy’ initiatives and other stakeholders has reared again, as Patrick Gallagher joins the trove of publicans pushing for expanded trading.
Gallagher Hotels purchased Art Deco classic the Hunters Hill Hotel (HHH), the only pub in the precinct, in 2017, from Iris.
A recent application to extend trading hours from midnight to 2am prompted a council meeting, attended by dozens of local residents, raising objections to the proposal.
It was posed intoxicated patrons stumbling the streets might cause increased noise, including the sound of car doors closing.
One resident opined that the additional hours stood to threaten their very reason for moving to the area, and the family values that make Hunters Hill.
This seems to overlook the fact they bought near a pub that has been on the site for more than a century.
Considering submissions, including raw police data and an objection based in the notion that more than 100 incidents have been reportedly “linked” to the HHH since the Gallaghers took over, Hunters Hill Council has declined the proposal at this stage.
It is commonly suggested that police attribute any alcohol-related incident, which includes domestic violence and DUIs, to the nearest pub or licensed premise. It’s thought this ill-defined data is used to arm objections to liquor licence applications, such as varying trading hours.
“Officers have been called to the pub once, maybe twice, in our eight years,” Gallagher contests. “And they were for minor incidents not related to noise or bad behaviour.”
The HHH also provides parking for 200 cars, which exceeds its obligations, implying the sound of car doors is not emanating from the pub. The objection also raises the suggestion of supposedly intoxicated people getting into vehicles.
Currently, the HHH must close at midnight. Patrons wanting to go out beyond that are likely to go to options in neighbouring Drummoyne, Gladesville or Lane Cove, to venues with a 3am licence.
“Customers want the longer hours, especially for private functions and the like,” Gallagher says.
The problem is another instance of local bureaucracy clashing with the NSW government’s ‘vibrancy reforms’, launched in October 2024, promising to boost and decentralise the night-time economy, through an end to council conditions prompted by NIMBYs and greater flexibility for live music venues, to support that industry.
The HHH has similarly been looking at live performances, but this is on hold pending the extended hours.
Yet plenty of hotels hoping to join the initiative and embrace variety have faced similar hurdles, such as at the Rose Hotel in Chippendale and Chippo Hotel, fighting to join mandated 24-hour precincts after being blocked due to consideration of NIMBYs.
A recent report by the NSW Productivity and Equality Commissioner confirmed regulatory barriers are still holding back the recovery of Sydney’s night-time economy. The Commissioner estimates DAs aiming for longer trading hours cost businesses nearly $40k, on average.
Gallagher, who also lives in Hunter’s Hill, says they are motivated and eager to be a positive in the community.
“We want to be good neighbours. We want to do anything we can to minimise disruption.”
