Bribie RSL noise: When does entertainment become a nuisance?

The debate over noise from the Bribie Island RSL raises a bigger question for our community: how do we balance the right of residents to enjoy peace and quiet with the right of a long-established community club to provide entertainment? 

Bribie Island RSL is an important part of the Island's social life providing dining, entertainment, functions and a place for members and visitors to meet. 

But as complaints about noise become part of the conversation, there is another side to consider — the residents who live nearby and expect to be able to enjoy their homes without excessive noise. 

So where should the line be drawn? 

A club providing live music or entertainment is not necessarily doing anything wrong simply because residents can hear it. At the same time, a business cannot assume that every level of noise is acceptable simply because entertainment is part of its operation. 

Queensland's Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) specifically deals with complaints about unreasonable noise from licensed premises. When investigating a complaint, it can consider the number and frequency of complaints, liquor licence conditions, background noise levels and what reasonable steps the venue is taking to minimise its impact on the surrounding area.  

There is also an interesting consideration known as "order of occupancy." 

If a venue has been operating in an area for many years and someone subsequently moves into a nearby property, that history can be relevant when authorities assess a noise complaint. However, the situation can become more complicated if the venue introduces a new activity — such as different entertainment — or makes changes that alter the noise coming from the premises.  

That raises a question worth asking on Bribie: 

What sort of Island do we want to live on? 

Do we want a vibrant community where clubs, restaurants and other venues can provide live entertainment? 

Or do we want an increasingly quiet residential environment where entertainment is restricted because of its impact on nearby residents? 

Perhaps the answer is somewhere between the two. 

A community club should be able to provide entertainment, but residents should also be able to expect reasonable consideration of their homes and quality of life. 

The challenge is finding that balance before the argument becomes a battle between "the residents" and "the club." 

Noise complaints can quickly become personal. One person's enjoyable Saturday-night music can be another person's disturbed sleep. 

And there is another consideration that shouldn't be overlooked: Bribie Island is changing. 

As more people move to the Island and more residential development occurs, venues that have traditionally provided entertainment are increasingly operating alongside homes. That makes sensible planning and communication more important than ever. 

Queensland's noise framework is designed to allow development and commercial activity while protecting the acoustic environment. Where a licensed venue is found to be producing unreasonable noise, OLGR can work with the venue and complainants, undertake noise monitoring and where necessary, issue an abatement notice or further enforcement action.  

But enforcement should arguably be the last step, not the first. 

Could the RSL and nearby residents sit down together and agree on practical measures? 

Could entertainment finish at agreed times? 

Could speakers be repositioned? 

Could bass levels be managed? 

Could better soundproofing reduce the impact? 

Could residents keep a record of when particular problems occur so that the venue knows exactly what needs addressing? 

These are not questions about who is right or wrong.  They're questions about whether a community can find a solution that allows both sides to continue enjoying Bribie Island. 

Because the real issue may not be whether the RSL should have entertainment.  It may be whether we can find a way for entertainment and residential living to coexist. 

The question for Bribie 

If you live near the RSL, what do you believe is reasonable? 

If you enjoy the RSL's entertainment, how important is it to keep live music and functions available? 

And if you are a member of the RSL, what would you expect from the club if residents raised genuine concerns? 

Perhaps the most important question isn't "Who should win the noise argument?" 

It's: 

"What kind of community do we want Bribie Island to be in another 10 or 20 years?" 

LOCAL News would welcome views from nearby residents, RSL members and the club itself about how the community can balance entertainment with residential amenity.