Controversial iBar given one month

iBar operator Warren Armstrong.

TWEED Shire Councillors have given a one-month period of grace to the lessee of the controversial iBar building in central Tweed Heads, before any new crackdown on its 24-hour liquor trading.

Lessee Adrian Wright, who sub-leases to iBar operator Warren Armstrong, had earlier pleaded with councillors to defer the matter so further information sought by council staff about building modifications could be provided.

But several councillors, led by Joan van Lieshout, have hinted when the matter does come back to the council in April they will want tough new conditions of approval that restrict the trading hours of what is officially a restaurant.

“This is not a restaurant. It’s a 24-hour liquor bar on the Jack Evans Boat Harbour,” Cr van Lieshout said.

“I could never support that.”

Cr Kevin Skinner won support from three other councillors to defer the matter, saying rejecting approval of the modifications this week could have landed the council “back in the courts”.

“It seems problems do occur in the early hours of the morning,” he added.

“We should seek to modify the unlimited trading hours from 9am to 3am.”

The row over the renovations dated back to May last year after a public furore broke out over the use of the building for lap-dancing, and council staff discovered building modifications had allegedly been done without approval.

At the time the councillors decided to initiate legal action, but in November planning staff recommended reconsideration.

The councillors asked Mr Wright to lodge a new building application covering the alleged unauthorised work and then put any legal action on hold.

Last week staff recommended an application for a change to the original restaurant approval be refused, citing a lack of information supporting the application and called for legal action to be re-launched.

At last Thursday’s community access meeting Mr Wright pleaded for councillors to put off considering the staff recommendation so he could provide necessary information.