Docklanders keep dancing

Docklanders have kept dancing through a row with the City of Melbourne which threatened to end four years of joy on Sunday afternoons at Yarra’s Edge.

Things went pear-shaped before 5pm on January 23 when a council by-laws officer walked into Curves Bar and Restaurant and demanded that the regular free outdoor salsa lessons not proceed.

The council officer, who was not wearing a uniform, said he was acting on a complaint from a local resident and left his card.  Staff say that, not long before, a resident had complained about the noise and threatened to have the show shut down, claiming to know someone on the council.

Dance 101 staff phoned the particular council officer and later decided to proceed with the dance class.  The class uses a single outdoor speaker at less than 70 decibels.  They say more noise comes from traffic using the adjacent Charles Grimes Bridge.

During the following week, the daily press, talk-back radio and television news and current affairs went into a feeding frenzy in response to the council’s actions.

Dance 101 director Cheryl Smith said she was appalled that the council had tried to shut down the free entertainment.  She said the Lord Mayor personally intervened in the dispute to allow the classes to proceed as a one-off on January 30.

Ms Smith is currently in negotiations with the council over the future of the event.

Even though the council officer demanded the event not proceed on the basis of noise levels, the council later claimed the classes are unlawful because Dance 101 did not have an event permit.

This is despite official noise level checks conducted by uniformed council officers two years ago.

Ms Smith said she assumed that because the classes were held on private property, an event permit was not necessary.

However, she said, she was happy to work with the council which had now adopted an official position of wanting to find a home for the classes in Docklands.

City of Melbourne CEO Kathy Alexander has said: “We will work with this group to help their application for an events permit and identify a suitable site in Docklands.”

“We are committed to balancing the needs of the city’s many users, and we’ll work to achieve an outcome that will work for everybody.”

Ms Smith met with council staff on January 31 and later reported a positive outcome.

“They certainly want us to continue,” she said.

She said she appreciated that the council needed to balance the requirements of all stakeholders and she was considering a compromise position of starting the classes at 4pm and ending at 9pm.

Salsa class participants poured out their outrage at the council’s actions via the Dance 101 website:

“Sorry but I see this complaint as either someone very bored with their life, (and if that is the case come join this wonderful family) or someone that doesn’t deserve to live in our wonderful city.”

“It is a real shame that an event which helps people relax after a hard week is in jeopardy due to the selfish actions of a “single” complaint. I could understand the council’s stance if there was a large number of complaints from the local residents, but a single person?”

“This is a free, fun event open to anyone of any gender, race and age. What more can a council or the local residents want for free?”

“All but for one miserable resident, who for the past five years has caused many problems for others and the body corporate ... I could tell you some stories!”