Response from CEO re missing documentation in Public Notices Food and Drink Premises.

Hi Peter,

CN issued the Public Notice of the proposed lease in accordance with legislative requirements. Both Crown Lands and the OLG have confirmed that publicly notifying the intention to lease prior to advertising for an operator represents best practice. This approach enables the DA to progress before commencing an EOI process, providing greater certainty to the market.

All DA information relevant to the proposal is publicly available via the DA tracker. Any future café operator will be required to comply with the conditions of the DA consent, including the approved Operational Management Plan. Including specific DA details within the lease notification would be unnecessary and can be misleading, as the specific hours and operational arrangements cannot be confirmed until an operator is appointed. These matters will still remain within the limits set by the DA consent.

I must admit to not fully understanding your concern about the potential provision of alcohol within a cafe. Our surf clubs have licences to sell alcohol, and do so without incident. There seems to be an inherent assumption within your objection that a future operator would be unable to comply with its own plan of management to restrict consumption to within the nominated area. Other businesses manage to comply with such requirements throughout the city. It's therefore my view that a future experienced operator should have no issue ensuring compliance with any DA conditions related to the sale of alcohol.

On this basis, I wont be amending the public notice or extending the submission period.

Regards

Jeremy Bath (he/him) | Chief Executive Officer

City of Newcastle | Chief Executive's Office