BATTLE lines are being drawn at Cottesloe Beach as hoteliers and the local government argue over maintaining a Western Australian tradition - the Sunday session.
BATTLE lines are being drawn at Cottesloe Beach as hoteliers and the local government argue over maintaining a Western Australian tradition - the Sunday session.
The debate centres on the dollar value of high patron numbers for the two popular local pubs - Cottesloe Beach Hotel and Ocean Beach Hotel - against the damage being done to the affluent area by unruly revellers.
Cottesloe Mayor Kevin Morgan wants to cull patron numbers allowed at the hotels, which often attract 4,000 people into the area on a Sunday.
"The strategy that we have embarked on is to seek to invoke a rarely used power of the liquor licensing authority to enquire whether the allowable patron numbers of the two beachfront hotels should be slashed by 50 per cent," Mr Morgan told WA Business News.
This follows reports last month that the Cottesloe City Council had voted in favour of hiring private detectives to spy on patrons, and monitor their behaviour, at the two weekend hotspots.
Mr Morgan believes the actions of hotel patrons have had a disastrous impact on the neighbourhood.
"They are blighting what I would say is the state's premier recreation and tourism precinct," Mr Morgan said.
Unacceptable behaviour by hotel patrons included leaving broken glass strewn across the beach, public urination, and extensive damage to civic property.
However, operations manager for the Cottesloe Beach Hotel, Jacki O'Hara, is not happy with the council's actions, and believes her patrons have had no damaging effect on tourism or anything else in the area.
"I don't want my numbers reduced and I'll do everything in my power to ensure that doesn't happen," Ms O'Hara said.
Calls to the OBH had not been returned when WA Business News went to press.
Subscribe today for award-winning, unbiased and trusted journalism