A proposal to build a 200-person swingers club in Melbourne's city centre has sparked fierce opposition from local residents and businesses, who have raised safety concerns and fears their neighbourhood could become a “hub” for sex-related establishments.
But councillors who approved the development application for a “sex venue” have hit out at the “moral preaching” of those opposed to the plans, with one expressing outrage after it was revealed several former councillors had also attended similar clubs.
Last month, Pineapples Lifestyle Bar received approval from Port Phillip City Council for a proposed premises at 427 City Road in South Melbourne, despite “considerable” objections from locals who are now challenging the decision in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
The vacant two-storey building is located in a small triangular block bounded by City Road, York Road and Ferrars Road, a “remnant” of land previously zoned industrial, which is likely to be reclassified as mixed-use under wider proposals being considered in August.
Under plans first submitted in January, the venue would be transformed into an “adult lifestyle venue” complete with a bar, live music entertainment and private and public sex rooms.
The deal allows up to 200 customers from 6pm to 2am daily, but only 20 customers per day. At least six staff, including security, must be present during peak hours.
action Herald Sun The venue is reportedly also likely to be used for “content creation”, including the production of pornographic media, during the day, before hosting ticketed adults-only events at night.
Pineapples Lifestyle Bar, which hopes to open in November, says on its website that it offers “an inclusive, sexy, free-spirited experience” with a “purpose-built venue … designed to take hedonism to a new level of sophistication, excitement and excitement like never before.”
“Our unique and thorough screening, referral and introduction process ensures that only the most respectful, consensual and diverse participants are included in our events.”
“We have zero tolerance for drugs, excessive alcohol consumption, rude, annoying or excessively drunk behavior, so our growing community feels comfortable being themselves and ready to come back.”
“It’s absolutely bizarre” that the planning application has been assessed under the current industrial zoning, said Tony Baenziger, a 64-year-old local architect who has a two-story office in the building and is leading the campaign against the club. The council is due to consider changing the zoning in less than a month.
“These places are OK in an industrial area, but the point we want to make is that this is no longer an industrial area,” Beenziger said.
“I don’t want to judge this business as I would anyone else. I guess it’s because it’s not something I like. The point from our perspective is that this is not a suitable place. Residents are concerned about their safety. On top of other disturbances like noise and trash, we don’t see this as a suitable place.”
“The rest of the area is in an industrial area,” Mr. Beinziger said, “It was an anomaly that they came across by chance that gave them this opportunity.”
“If they have to settle in an industrial area, they have to go outside the city,” he said. “The only reason this group is trying to settle here is because it benefits them. They are very smart.”
He claimed that the area was “sprouting like weeds” and that “we fear it will become a hub” for the adult business.
Prostitution was decriminalized in Victoria in 2022, and brothels are now classified as shops under town planning regulations. The council also said Pineapple Lifestyle Bar would need to apply for a separate town planning permit to convert the premises into a brothel.
A petition against the establishment of swinger clubs has attracted nearly 350 signatures, and locals have launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the VCAT challenge, which raised more than $1,000 of its $10,000 goal on Tuesday.
“This location is not suitable for such a location due to its proximity to residential areas, schools and family-friendly businesses,” the petition states.
“Despite much opposition from local residents and business owners, the council has allowed the project without regard to the character and values of our neighbourhood and to what the area should aspire to be in the future.”
More than 30 business owners and residents voiced their opposition before the decision was made.
Port Phillip City Council approved the proposal by a vote of 5 to 3 last month, backing recommendations from the city's planning department.
Deputy Mayor Louise Crawford and councillors Tim Baxter, Andrew Bond, Peter Martin and Robbie Nyaguy voted in favor, while Mayor Heather Cunsolo and councillors Marcus Pearl and Christina Sirakoff voted against.
The planning permit was approved subject to several conditions, such as a minimum of 100 customer seats, waste storage within “sound-treated doors” and “noise and vibration testing” before opening.
Two one-hour street parking spaces outside the venue will be re-allocated to short-term parking for 10 or 15 minutes from 6pm to 8am, and remaining one-hour parking from 8am to 6am.
The traffic department recommended reducing the maximum number of customers to 150 to reduce the impact on local parking, but the council approved a cap of 200 instead.
During a June 19 meeting, a number of council members who supported the plan warned those who opposed it that it was “teaching morals” to the business.
“Let me be clear, we are making decisions based on planning rules, not opinions … we cannot take into account whether the business is right for us,” Cr Crawford said.
“I was really shocked… No matter how you look at it, this is an industrial area that is very suitable for entertainment. It may not be your style or your way, but that’s your business. We are making decisions about planning.”
“If you can’t have it at Middle Park and you can’t have it at St Kilda, where else can you have it?”
She added that there are swinger clubs “all over the world,” including other nearby venues, “and most are very private.”
“The people who go there are not drunks who cause trouble like in other entertainment venues,” she said. “It’s not about teaching people the truth about the business.”
“Ultimately, this is the right place and I think the terms and conditions of this licence are totally reasonable and I would be happy if it was open seven days a week,” Cr Nyaguy insisted.
“In terms of morality, I sometimes go to places where there is sexual activity, and because I have been to many pubs, I find them quieter than others,” he said at the conference.
“Most people don’t necessarily have to declare their attendance, but they generally don’t drink alcohol or take drugs in the amounts you might see in other places.”
“Concerns about facilities that people may have are often unfounded and I have not heard any complaints about the many facilities that exist across Port Phillip during my time on the council,” he argued.
“I think we need to put aside some of the moral concerns and take this seriously as a planning application,” he said.
Cr Bond said a similar venue that has now closed, Abode on nearby Martin Street in St Kilda, had been “in business for over 20 years. [and] There has never been a single complaint.”
“I know that a few years ago a council member came in and was very surprised to see another council member there,” he said. “None of those council members are on the council at the moment. I won’t name them.”
But Cr Sirakoff said she supported residents' concerns.
“This is where they live and this is going to affect them,” she said.
“They will walk down the street, whether it’s morning, afternoon or evening. This area is currently designated as an industrial area, but it will become more residential and retail. I don’t think we should dictate what happens here because the dynamics of the area will change.”
With around 80,000 people expected to move into Fishermans Bend and surrounding areas by 2050 under the government’s CBD regeneration plan, Cr Sirakoff argues “we should be thinking about the future and how we work in this area”.
“I have nothing against other people’s actions, but I don’t think this is the right place,” she said.
An application for consideration was lodged with VCAT earlier this month.
In a statement, Cr Cunsolo said the council “recognises VCAT’s appeal” against the decision.
“Our council will support VCAT’s decision to grant planning permission for 427 City Road, South Melbourne, to be used as an adult gathering place,” she said.
“The council report … provides reasons for its decision, which, while not unanimous, was supported by a majority of council members.”
In a lengthy statement Tuesday, Pineapples Lifestyle Bar said the venue would “benefit the local area and the community at large” and that a “small number of people” who “disagree with our voluntary lifestyle choices” are “trying to thwart our plans to open a safe, welcoming and inclusive club.”
“There will be no judgments, no labels, no generalizations, no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no,” the statement said.
“Our goal is to create a place where guests with good taste can express their true selves in a unique and gender-free way. We respect the concerns of local people and want our venue to be in line with the character of the area.”
The venue “is rarely filled to capacity,” with one-off events occurring a few times a year mostly for special events, and an average night’s attendance hovers around 40 to 60 people, the statement said.
Pineapples Lifestyle Bar said it expects VCAT to make a decision in its favor.
Frank Chung@news.com.au
