Tasmania pubgoers furious after council TV objections
Pun goers are furious with a Tasmanian council after Pavilion at Salamanca was called out for installing television screens in an outdoor area after being directed against the move.
A heritage officer for the City of Hobart ruled the TVs didn’t fit in with the “character and heritage value” of the area.
While the pub installed the TVs initially without permission, it did move forward with an application in November.
However, that has seen some pushback from authorities who have called the screens “unacceptable”.
Co-owner Blair Brownless doesn’t see an issue.
“Having live sport is what we're about — that's what we’ve built our business on — and we don’t think the screens are obtrusive at all,” he told Yahoo News Australia.
“You can't even notice the TVs unless you're inside the venue. If you've parked the car there or if you're in the business next door, you actually can’t see the TVs anyway.”
Locals have called the City of Hobart “out of touch”.
“The fun police are out again!” said a Facebook user.
“It’s about time the Heritage Fuddy Duddies packed up their bags and buggered off,” another said.
“No wonder Tassie gets bagged at times for being behind the times,” another commented. “It’s not our fault. It’s the powers that be.”
Brownless told Yahoo, “When the 30-day notice went up, there were no objections from anyone. It's just the Heritage
Officer saying it's not in keeping with the historic nature of Salamanca.”
The pub is part of a three-storey former warehouse in Salamanca Place and must abide by the Sullivans Cove Planning Scheme.
Heritage Officer Nick Booth said the sports bar’s outdoor TV screens fall under the definition of "signs" and are in breach of this code.
“The signs proposed to the outdoor dining space fail to meet clauses ... because it amounts to the erection of signs on a structure adjacent to places of cultural significance that would, by virtue of their design, detract from the character and heritage value of the adjacent buildings individually and collectively,” he wrote in response to Brownless’s application.
Brownless said, “we’re mindful of the heritage nature of Salamanca. We're an old building, we don't have any signage structure or anything, so we understand that.
“But Salamanca is also an entertainment precinct. It’s full of bars and restaurants and that's what brings Salamanca to life.
It’s the bars and restaurants and being a vibrant part of the city and we're trying to enhance that aspect.”
The pub has nine TV screens inside the bar, but Brownless argues the two outside TVs are crucial to business as a sports bar.
Jonathan Jackson, 18th January 2024
