Perth councillors mull U-turn on ‘sex-on-premises’ venue in Perth CBD

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City of Perth councillors are weighing whether to reverse their previous decision to knock back a sex-on-premises venue in the heart of the CBD or embark on a costly fight in the…

City of Perth councillors are weighing whether to reverse a previous decision to knock back a sex-on-premises venue in the heart of the CBD or embark on a costly fight in the State Administrative Tribunal.

In July, the council denied an application from the Pink Rabbit Adult Boutique to open a dedicated sex-on-premises space on the floor above its Beaufort Street store.

At the time, owner Nicholas Needham told this masthead he planned to appeal the decision to the SAT, saying he was “heartbroken” the space, which would have also catered to the city’s LGBTQIA+ community, was denied.

“There are venues like this that exist all over the world, in every capital city, so I’m not sure why it’s an issue for the City of Perth,” he said.

Now, the city is considering going back on its previous decision, with documents prepared ahead of next week’s council meeting revealing it had already spent about $10,000 on SAT proceedings – and could face a bill of up to $50,000 if it pursues the fight.

In the meeting agenda, city officers recommended the council reconsider its decision and approve an amended application for the venue, which included the condition that the approval is valid for five years at most.

SAT mediation led to an amended application, which included the installation of a shower and a limit of 35 people at a time in the venue.

The opening hours would also be restricted to 9pm, except on Friday when the venue would open until 10pm, and Sunday when it would be open until 6pm.

There were 290 objections to the original application, however 195 were lodged without any reason, and only 11 came from residents or businesses within the City of Perth, according to the council agenda.

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