Sydney's ritziest suburbs rocked by new restaurant row

• A restaurant has been given the green light to expand
• Its rich neighbours are furious over potential noise
• READ MORE: Aussies list the things that mean you’re ‘rich’ in 2023 

Beachfront residents in one of Sydney’s most expensive suburbs have been split by a bitter battle over an upcoming restaurant, just days after a similar row divided their neighbours.

More than 100 people have made public submissions against the plans for a 170-seat restaurant overlooking Whale Beach, in the city’s north-east.

The owners of the current apartment building block applied to renovate the building and develop it into a modern living, shopping and eating complex in 2020.

They submitted new plans in 2022 with the hope of expanding the restaurant’s capacity to 170 diners, including 30 on an outdoor balcony.

But well-heeled residents were up in arms at their idyllic seaside home becoming more crowded, with fewer parking spaces flagged as a major concern.

Details of the row emerged after neighbouring Palm Beach was rocked by the furious backlash after a handful of locals blocked extended opening hours for revamped Boatshed diner, The Joey.

More than 100 people in 2022 made public submissions against plans (pictured) for a 170-seat restaurant overlooking Whale Beach

The owners of the current site of an eyesore apartment building (pictured) and former deli cafe entered a submission to renovate the building in 2020

The Whale Beach application was supported by Northern Beaches Council staff but rejected by the Local Planning Panel – made of independent planning experts and locals.

The panel found the proposed larger restaurant would have ‘unacceptable noise impacts on adjoining and nearby residential properties’, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

However, its decision was overruled by the Land and Environment Court last Thursday when it chose to upheld an appeal by owner Leslie Cassar.

The owners have now agreed the venue will be limited to sit up to 150 people – with that limit variable depending on the season and time of day.

The venue can host 150 people for lunch on weekdays all year round but only 80 on weekends.

Between October and March, up 130 people can sit for dinner on weekdays and 100 on weekends.

From April to September, the restaurant can host 150 guests on weekdays and 140 on weekends.

Commissioner Timothy Horton said during the verdict: ‘This is not to dismiss or diminish the genuinely held concerns of residents that parking is a source of stress and concern for those who live in the area.’

During a visit to Whale Beach, the court ‘saw for itself examples [of] vehicles parked unlawfully, drivers failing to observe stop signs and the like’.

One from long-time Whale Beach resident Leonor Gouldthorpe said the noise from the restaurant would make her life ‘unbearable’.

Whale Beach residents complained the an extension to the proposed restaurant (pictured) in 2022 would cause too much noise

In order to help reduce noise, the venue will limit group bookings of more than 100 people to 12 times a year, erect a 1.8m ‘lapped and capped’ fence and serve a maximum of 150 people (pictured, Whale Beach)

In order to help reduce noise, the venue will limit group bookings of more than 100 people to 12 times a year and erect a 1.8m ‘lapped and capped’ fence.

In evidence submitted to the court, the Palm Beach and Whale Beach Association said it ‘thought the size should be commensurate with the needs of the locals’.

The row erupted as an angry local from Palm Beach, next to Whale Beach, says the noise of people eating at a restaurant 600m and an entire golf course away would wreck his peace and quiet.

Stephen Jones successfully blocked The Joey in Palm Beach, the billionaire’s row beachside retreat on the tip of Sydney’s northern beaches, from operating later opening hours.

But that has enraged other residents backing the restaurant – also known as Barrenjoey Boatshed –  who stress it is more than half a kilometre from its nearest neighbour.

More than 130 locals had backed the plan to extend the restaurant’s opening hours to 11pm each night, from the current 7am-4pm daily and 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays during daylight savings.

Co-owners Ben May and Rob Domjen recently spent $7million revamping the famous cafe which regularly features in Seven’s TV soap Home and Away, filmed on the beach nearby.

They rebranded the isolated boatshed as The Joey Dining Room and Bar, and applied to Northern Beaches Council for the extension to their opening hours.

While 132 locals submitted letters of support for the new restaurant, seven Palm Beach residents complained, causing the council to block the request.

Financial advisor Stephen Jones led the revolt against the application, saying it was ‘totally unreasonable’ and would cause his family unbearable anxiety.

The Joey, in Palm Beach, also known as the Barrenjoey Boatshed, is currently open from 7am to 4pm daily, and until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays during daylight savings

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He said he had lived in the area for 22 years and the late opening would cause ‘significant adverse noise impacts’ on its neighbours 600m away on the other side of the nine-hole golf course.

‘I object … due to a significant increase in the duration of loud music and particularly the deep bass beat effects that reverberates from the venue and can be heard from inside our house,’ Mr Jones said in a submission to the council.

‘This loud music and deep bass beat significantly effects our amenity and well-being.

‘Music, plus patron noise can be heard within my bedroom.

‘It is totally unreasonable for the nearby residents to have to suffer from noise issues from this venue operating seven days per week.’

Another Palm Beach local, Richard Kovacs, also objected to the proposal, claiming it would ‘significantly increase the level of noise and disturb the amenity of those living and residing nearby’.

‘It is a matter of fact that when the previous operator held late night events on Friday and Saturday nights that the level of noise impacted local residents,’ he said.

‘The waterfrontage location of the Boathouse amplifies the sound down the estuary beach very clearly and consequently the repetitive, loud and unrelenting sound bounces off the water and adversely impacts the resident’s amenity, far further than the applicant would admit.

‘Given the impact, extending the operating hours by seven hours to 11.00pm seven days a week is plainly unreasonable.’

Stephen Jones is one of seven Palm Beach locals who have complained about The Joey extending its opening hours

The Joey is popular among Sydneysiders and tourists alike, having been the setting of countless scenes in Home and Away.

The restaurant held an opening event on February 11 from 5pm to 8pm.

A three-person council committee rejected the application, saying it was ‘likely to result in unreasonable amenity impacts to nearby residential properties’.

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