Liquor fight saps resolve

CHRIS Taylor is trying to decide whether to continue the expensive fight in the Liquor Licensing Court for a special facility liquor licence application for his new restaurant and function venue, Bluewater Grill.

He has been trying to obtain a special facility licence since earlier this year but objections by the Department of Health and WA Police have made the process lengthy and expensive.

“Not having the licence will impact my business but I’ve heard of some guys, smaller than me, have paid up to $100,000 to get a licence. I’m not about to do that,” Mr Taylor said.

The Bluewater Grill liquor licence application is currently adjourned while he decides whether or not to proceed with further hearings at the Liquor Licensing court.

In the meantime Mr Taylor has obtained a restaurant licence and began operating the restaurant two-weeks ago, three and a half months after it was ready to open the doors. 

According to Mr Taylor’s liquor licensing lawyer, Freehills partner Tony van Merwyk, the intervention by the police and the Department of Health has added costs to Mr Taylor’s application.

Mr van Merwyk could not comment on specific objections but questioned a heightened involvement by both authorities.

“Does the intervention at Heathcote [Bluewater Grill] mean that they will be intervening in all licence applications that have terms that are less restrictive than Heathcote?” he asked.

“This application is for the sale of alcohol to a facility which is a restaurant and function venue. If that is what they are now intervening in will we see a whole new suite of these interventions?

“The police have been known to intervene in applications but in my experience they have not done so with an application of this nature.”

Mr Taylor’s venue includes a restaurant, function room, and kiosk area.

Mr van Merwyk said the cost of Mr Taylor’s special facility licence application had escalated due to the objections of the authorities.

“In my view there has been a layer of cost added to this because of the intervention,” he said. 

WA Business News understands that the special facility licence had approval from the City of Melville and that the licence application received no objections from residents or operators in the Applecross, Ardross or Heathcote areas.

Instead, objections from authorities are proving frustrating for Mr Taylor, who is considering whether to withdraw the application.

Mr Taylor won the tender for the Bluewater Grill after two years of negotiations with the City of Melville and the Heritage Council of WA.

The City of Melville put out a tender for a restaurant more than two years ago and awarded notable Perth restaurateur Umberto Tinelli a contract in June 2001.

However, Mr Tinelli abandoned the deal due to restrictions to building modifications.

That left the spot open for Mr Taylor, who was second in line.