ACCC clears Laundy's $40m Woy Woy Hotel buy
Pub baron Arthur Laundy has secured competition regulator approval for his $40 million acquisition of the Woy Woy Hotel on the NSW Central Coast, giving him control of both major pubs in the popular peninsula township.
It wasn’t smooth sailing, though as he criticised the watchdog over a four-month approval process.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) cleared the deal, finding the purchase was unlikely to substantially lessen competition in any market.
Laundy bought the venue, known as The Old Pub, from Harvest in April, adding it to his existing Bayview Hotel on the same street.
Laundy, 85, said the ACCC review had cost him $50,500 in fees and stalled progress on the venue. "We should be doing anything we can to assist productivity," he said. "I cannot believe the red tape."
He confirmed the Woy Woy Hotel required no immediate work, but said he would upgrade accommodation at the nearby Bayview Hotel.
The ACCC found that despite Laundy's ownership of both pubs, the market would remain competitive. It pointed to the larger, recently renovated Everglades Country Club as well as pubs and clubs at Umina Beach and Ettalong Beach, noting travel times for peninsula residents to those venues would be comparable to reaching the Woy Woy or Bayview hotels. Parties opposed to the ruling can seek review through the Australian Competition Tribunal.
Laundy operates roughly 90 pubs and hotels across the eastern seaboard, spanning gaming, wagering, dining, retail liquor and accommodation.
The approval comes as fellow pub owner Justin Hemmes awaits a separate ACCC ruling on his proposed $44 million purchase of the Sackville Hotel in Rozelle, Sydney.
The regulator is examining whether the deal, which would see Hemmes control the Sackville alongside his nearby Three Weeds Hotel and Totti's Rozelle restaurant, would reduce competition in the area, and is calling for public submissions on the matter. Hemmes, who controls around 90 venues across NSW and Victoria, declined to comment on the pending acquisition.
Jonathan Jackson, 18th August 2026
