High Street music venue raises vandalism risk, Finny's owner says

Ray Finn is among six objectors to Sonic Entertainment's bid to transform a former Bendigo YMCA building into a licenced venue.

The Finny's Clearance Store owner has questioned the bid for a music venue at 87 High Street and believes more revellers in the southwest corner of the city centre would bring greater problems for existing businesses including extra rubbish and graffiti.

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"People are saying we get that from [foot traffic from nearby food venues] anyhow, but if you are bringing 500-odd people there will be a lot more of it," Mr Finn said.

One of his biggest concerns was the possibility of securing his site if a window was broken late at night, as he was not necessarily in town at those times.

Mr Finn was also concerned about a different type of alcohol use in that part of the city centre and the potential for drug use in an alleyway behind his building.

Sonic Entertainment wants the council's permission to host live music for up to 550 patrons on Friday and Saturday nights between 7pm and 1am and has presented the council with plans to manage patrons outside the venue, including security patrols.

"The residential area will be part of our security structure to protect any vandalism and undue noise," the group told the council when first applying for planning permissions.

They would abide by rules around responsible serving of alcohol and patron management inside the venue, Sonic Entertainment said at the time.

Councillors will vote on Monday, September 24 on allowing the live music plan to go ahead.

Council staff have urged elected representatives to allow the live music venue, saying Sonic Entertainment could do enough to manage noise-levels and meet planning requirements on other issues.

They have said concerns about some matters are outside their sphere of influence and sit instead with groups like Victoria Police.

The control also sits with Liquor Control Victoria as of July 2022, when the responsibility for liquor regulation was transferred from the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission.

Six members of the public opposed the live music venue on a range of grounds including potential noise pollution.

Mr Finn was not as concerned about any noise-related issues since his business would be closed when the music venue would open, though he would have to rethink safety issues around late-night deliveries.

"I go over there whenever it's required and on the weekends I have been pulling up in the laneway anywhere from eight or nine o'clock at night with a load of stock," Mr Finn said.

"The last thing I need is for someone who has been using drugs, or is drunk or had a fight with their mate to come around causing issues with me. So I wouldn't be able to do what I normally do without that chance of issues."

This article previously stated that the responsibility for the controls on liquor licences sat with the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission.

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