2-4 Oxford Street Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Hi team, we live very nearby to the Burdekin; allowing a rooftop bar would heavily impact the peaceful enjoyment of our home. The noise from people on balconies already travels a long way and we can understand that but
rooftop bars with loud music, along with drunk, drugged up folks would be an absolute disaster and negatively impact the value of our home. We successfully fought another DA for 223 Liverpool St as they wanted to put in a rooftop restaurant and bar which would have been a nightmare to put up with.
We live in a highly desirable, residential neighbourhood and should be able to live without being impacted by these types of disturbances especially in the evening and on weekends.
Back on 14 Sept 2019, I contacted the police two times re a rooftop party in Burnell Place, Darlinghurst. Although it wasn’t as close to us as the Burdekin rooftop would it was still very disturbing. All north facing units were affected and the wider Darlinghurst precinct. The police said they’re responding to other incidents and that they “might” have a permit....apparently it’s just a “noise” complaint but the officer said they’ve received many calls. At any rate, that noise pollution was unacceptable and disgusting.

I think Sydney should have more rooftop bars! I fully support this application. Sydney needs to be brought back to life. Living in the inner city means you get access to fantastic venues and services all at your doorstep. If you you want peace and quiet, move to the suburbs.

We live in and International city and Oxford Street & surrounds has been an entertainment precint longer than anyone living here.

People should know, when they move here, what to expect. Property value should not be a consideration because this reinforces the gentrification of the few cultural spaces the city has left.

Noise is certainly a quality of life issue, however, a 10pm close for a rooftop bar is perfectly reasonable as long as the venue complies with conditions. These should be monitored and breaches should be punished; conversely, good behaviour should be rewarded.

I live next to a backpackers in Potts Point and they are out all summer until 10pm in their courtyard right below my bedroom window; while this might not always be 100% convenient for me, I accept that I live in a city and that 10pm is a reasonable time to expect noise until. In fact, I live here precisely because I want to be able to do things like take a date to a rooftop until 10pm.

I support this development. Oxford Street needs more attractions like this to help bring people back since the lockouts scared them away.

More to the point, I would like to stress that once we let property values dictate our cultural life, the city may as well curl up in a ball and die.

Sounds like a great proposed plan by the Burdekin. The bar is essentially in the city, and we should be encouraging these nightlife options. They're not proposing a rooftop club, it's a restaurant and bar. If we can't allow a bar to stay open until midnight on a weekend, something is wrong. Agree on comments that property price protection should not be a factor (although I actually think making Sydney a great place to go out in will only benefit these anyway!)

I am tired of reading the hoary old argument that if you want quiet, move to the suburbs, and that what do you expect when you move to the inner city. Neither have any validity. Wherever there is residential development, residents are entitled to a reasonable expectation of amenity and liveability which includes not being exposed to excessive noise pollution. In fact, living in the inner city obligates residents to be even more mindful of the impact of their behaviour on others since we live in much closer proximity to each other than the suburbs - the postcode is not a licence to blatantly disregard the fact others may not want to party late. Many people like to live in the inner city for reasons other than taking a date to a bar late. Research shows the best types of communities are those with a mix of demographics and lifestyle choices, and inner city residential areas must be accommodated for the needs of all residents who choose to live there for whatever their reason, not just the nightlife. Claiming you know what to expect when you move is an irrelevant comment - the rooftop bar does not currently exist. "As long as the venue complies" is also deeply problematic as experience shows that residents in such situations end up as unpaid compliance officers for council constantly complaining about breaches with no action being taken and an overworked police force not enforcing noise complaints either. Whilst gentrification of any inner city suburb is inevitable regardless of nightlife options, it is perfectly valid for people to defend the value of what is the biggest financial investment of their life. And how drinking in a rooftop bar until midnight constitutes cultural life is highly debatable. I oppose the application on the basis that nightlife options should not hijack inner city liveability. There must be a balance that accommodates and respects the varying needs of all locals.

We agree with all that has been said by Alexa Wyatt and by Luke Scanlan. Living in the centre of a vibrant city should not mean residents have to be exposed to noise pollution. Already there is far too much supposedly back-ground noise; every cafe, restaurant, shop etc has music blaring. It's now rare to find somewhere with the volume low enough to have a conversation or to quietly read, daydream or think. Noise pollution is the next great threat to our mental and physical health. Already studies are being done into the negative impact of noise pollution on our brains (I'm a neuroscientist) as well as on our hearing and the quality of our sleep. There is no reason for this bar to have no roof. A bar at roof level is great as it gives people wonderful views of our gorgeous City, however there is absolutely no need for it to be open-topped. We, along with many others, therefore vehemently oppose this planning application.

There is no need for a roof top bar.
Plenty of room inside.
The noise pollution will be considerable.

To Whom it may concern,

An additional rooftop dining experience on Oxford St would be very welcome in the community! We have seen the positive atmosphere and culture developed by many other respected institutions in the area - but it is noted that rooftop and outdoor dining options appear to be somewhat limited to select venues.

The noise created by a rooftop restaurant would be minimal compared to typical traffic and street noise, especially being on Oxford st, close to major intersections.

Given appropriate DA noise controls placed on any developments in the area, i don't see any reason why noise should be a concern for this proposal.

The area is a hospitality and entertainment hot-spot and should be considered as such by residents. It would be inappropriate to expect silence in the streets of a street that brings much pride to the fabric of Sydney, and a global embarrasment if the concerns of some residents with sensitive ears was to tarnish what the community has worked so hard to achieve.

Sydney was just named the winning bid to host Worldpride 2023! This will coincide with the 2023 Sydney Mardi Gras celebration!
In celebrating this, i would be dissapointed to think about, if in 2023, we have an Oxford St that has no al-fresco dining options, opressive noise restrictions, and planning applications being denied because of a minority group whom are out of touch and selfish.

I look forward to seeing further news regarding this application, and hope to see the planning authority act in the best interests of both the local residents, but also the thriving community who rely on Oxford st as their cultural hub.

Kind Regards,

Rob Hardy

For as long as I can remember, this area has always been a vibrant and dynamic urban neighbourhood, with bars, music, clubs and energy. Let’s support a healthy night time economy for Sydney. And roof top bars in retail / commercial precincts are a key part of bringing that to life. They utilise the most exciting part of an often neglected building asset - being the roof. Of course they’re not for everyone. It’s impossible to please all the people all the time. It’s about understanding the role each central area plays in the fabric of an international city like Sydney. It doesn’t seem fair to apply suburban residential rules to a commercial zone, particularly at a time when our inner city needs to become more buoyant, not more boring. At night, a rooftop bar would just be a natural part of the city buzz. A busy central urban area like this is not for everyone, and there are many suburbs in this great city which offer quiet neighbourhoods day and night. For inner urban residents, some noise is an expected factor. Double glazing windows is a common solution, which works against the noisiest aspect of an urban area: garbage trucks in the early morning. For those who want to quieten the city right down at night, perhaps being on the fringe of Australia’s biggest urban CBD might not be the place for them.