Bring Back the Buzz

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Media Release - September 2012

Frustrated by unreasonable bureaucratic red tape, tired of crazy by-laws, and fed up with a growing lack of consultation by elected representatives, the St Kilda Village Traders Group is set to launch its Bring Back the Buzz campaign manifesto.

With the City of Port Phillip Council general elections to be held on Saturday, October 27, the St Kilda Village Traders Group is putting candidates on notice, calling on them to listen to and consult more with the local community, show greater support for local businesses, and make decisions that will bring back the buzz and vitality to the iconic area synonymous with art, music, culture and eclectic lifestyle.

- The recently revealed proposal to scrap the hugely popular St Kilda Festival.

St Kilda Village Traders Group president Bianca Dawson said crazy council decisions and by-laws were driving people away from the iconic beachside suburb and its retail and restaurant strips.

“Council changes to local by-laws and rules have been strangling business here for years and draining the vitality and buzz from the area,” Ms Dawson said.  

“Killing the festival will be the last straw for business support for this council. It is the biggest free festival in the southern hemisphere and has been running for more than 25 years. They want to erase a quarter of a century of history without consulting the people who will be impacted by this decision.”

The St Kilda Village Traders Group will launch its Bring Back the Buzz campaign manifesto on Wednesday, September 26, at Big Mouth, 168 Acland Street, St Kilda at 11am.  

“This is about having a voice and making council candidates listen to the local community,” Ms Dawson said.

Keep up to date with the St Kilda Village Traders Group and its Bring Back the Buzz campaign through its website www.stkildavillage.org.au , Twitter (@stkildavillage1) or Facebook (/stkildavillage).

For further information contact:   

Greta Donaldson at Greta Donaldson Publicity (03) 9696 3234, 0427 658 638 or

greta@gdpublicity.com.au

CASE STUDIES

Big Mouth, corner of Acland and Barkly Streets, St Kilda.
Owners Maree White and Paul Del Din
Concern: Footpath Trading Laws.
It has been a perplexing battle over a bin for Maree White and Paul Del Din of popular Acland Street café Big Mouth. The rubbish started over a bin outside Big Mouth, near the corner of Barkly Street. Council by-laws state the bin must be 1.5m from the building line. But a different ruling was applied to the seating out the front of Big Mouth.  Council told Maree and Paul that their permitted seating had to be two meters from the building line. The decision, which was made without consultation or explanation, meant that the café had to have new seating made at a reduced width, and the height had to be dropped, as with all traders - which leads to the question, what is the difference between a bin and a chair?  Why the 50cm difference in position? Why can’t council issues such as this be discussed, explained, different viewpoints heard, and decisions justified?

7 Apples Gelato, 75 Acland Street, St Kilda.
Owner Mark Mariotti
Concern: Footpath Trading Laws.
Summer in St Kilda – think long days in the sun, glorious evening overlooking the bay, and gelato. 7 Apples Gelato has been cooling down locals and visitors to the area for the past 11 years. It is an icy oasis on a balmy day. But owner Mark Mariotti believes unrealistic and unnecessary footpath trading laws are making the simple act of selling gelato to a chilled out customer base a headache. 7 Apples has come to the attention of the City of Port Phillip council owing to the fact that at peak times in summer queues form of people waiting to buy gelato. The council has raised concerns about these queues blocking the footpath and therefore creating footpath accessibility problems. Council suggested the store place a bollard outside the store with a staff member and manage access to the counter in a way similar to a doorman at a nightclub. It was also suggested the business get rid of the two tables and five chairs – for which they have a permit – from the footpath in from of the store. The move would leave the business with no outside seating.

Grill’d, 83 Acland St, St Kilda
Owner Chris Hickey
Concern: Footpath trading laws.
Grab a burger, grab a seat outside, feast on the sights and sounds of St Kilda.
Sounds simple, but seating outside the popular Acland St burger joint has become a bugbear. Chris Hickey obtained a permit obtained in 2009 for 25 seats on the footpath outside Grill’d. But in 2011 the City of Port Phillip council revised a by-law relating to pedestrian access in the area. The result was a notice telling Grill’d they had to loose four seats – but they were still charged the same amount per year, for their permit. Grill’d was left with almost 20% less seating space at the front of their burger joint, but didn’t receive a 20% discount on their footpath trading fee. The reduced outdoor seating space also meant Grill’d had to invest in new furniture, thus the change to the permit imposed a further expense on the business. The permit changes occurred with no consultation with the business.
That has to stop.
 

Pure Pop, 221 Barkly St, St Kilda.
Owner Dave Stevens
Concern: Noise issues 
Independent music store Pure Pop has become a St Kilda institution.  Owner Dave Stevens has run the music hub, complete with a courtyard café and small performance space for seven years and it is much loved by locals – including a number of notable Australian rockers - and music aficionados. But things have not all been plain sailing.  Stevens has endured a long-running battle with the City of Port Phillip council over noise issues.  Pure Pop is situated in a business zone in Barkly St and acoustic music is played in the courtyard until 8pm. From 8pm-11pm recorded music is played. For the past five years Pure Pop has had numerous complaints about the level of its music and times that it is played/performed made to the City of Port Phillip council. Many of the complaints have been made by just one nearby neighbour. Curiously a number of the complaints have related to times when the venue is not even open. In July Pure Pop was slapped with a compliance order by council regarding soundproofing the courtyard where a small wooden stage allows intimate acoustic performances. The soundproofing will set him back more than $100,000 but he has embarked on the mission. It has been a long process but hopefully a compromise can be reached between the council, the aggrieved neighbour, and the business. The winners will be music lovers in the area and those who come to St Kilda to enjoy the sounds that have made the suburb famous.