Beloved Sydney Music Venue Under Threat From Noise Complaints

Marrickville's The Great Club has been put under strain by noise complaints issued by a neighbour, the venue owner Ali Flett reported.

Flett posted on social media yesterday, calling for help from punters and supporters of the venue.

"I'm going through a very stressful time at the moment because of one neighbour who is determined to have TGC shut down. You'll see the last photo of this thread is the latest in their attempt," she wrote before referencing "so much more" going on behind the scenes.

Flett added, "I'm extremely grateful to my team of lawyers who are navigating this with the same amount of grit, heart and soul that I put into this venue. We now need to engage our supporters to kick this into 5th gear. 

"We're on a deadline to get as many people to send in letters to Jo Haylen & IWC to show support to TGC by the end of February. We think this will give them a way more balanced view of the situation at hand."

The reason Flett is asking for supporters to rally around The Great Club, she wrote, is because she's not the only one affected by the threats. "This really isn't just about me. This affects my staff, artists, my (very patient) suppliers, landlords and, most importantly, the rest of the Marrickville community who benefit from what we offer at TGC."

She concluded with details on who to email, signing off: "If you can spare a minute, send me an email ali@thegreatclubsydney.com and I can send you on a template of what to include and who to send to."

In 2021, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the Inner West Council would consider a proposal for new laws that aim to find a balance between protecting locals from noise and venues that receive complaints, with the Enmore Theatre being the first Sydney venue to receive protection from noise complaints.

The proposal pushed Enmore Theatre to be recognised as a special entertainment precinct which would mean all complaints would be handled solely by the council and remove the right for neighbours to issue complaints to the liquor regulator, the Land and Environment Court and licensing police.