By MEGAN OGLE
AFTER months of debate, Noosa Council has approved a material change of use for he Village Bicycle restaurant that will see the popular nightspot operate until midnight four nights a week.
At the general committee meeting on Monday 13 June, and after vigorous debate, councillors voted to allow Village Bicycle to operate until midnight for four nights a week, which was ratified at the ordinary meeting on Thursday 16 June.
The approval is accompanied by a number of other conditions including a requirement for the owners of Village Bicycle to construct a sound-barrier fence, a limit to the number of patrons in the venue and a four-night trading trial period until June 2017.
Noosa Creative Precinct member Tim Nixon said the approval was a win for local businesses in the Noosa Junction.
“I’m pleased that a compromise has been reached and the Bike will continue to trade,” he said.
“There would have been a real chance we could have lost the Village Bike all together had the decision to extend the trading hours not passed.”
Noosa Creative Precinct is a community project which aims to revitalise the Junction and support a growing nightlife.
“In terms of Noosa Creative Precinct, this is significant for us because it’s a movement in the right direction in that the councillors have recognised there is a need for this if the Junction is to be revitalised,” Mr Nixon said.
“You can’t have a bustling, thriving Noosa Junction with no noise.”