Patricia Gill, Denmark Bulletin
Rockliffe Winery’s summer events, six in all, have been cancelled, a move which both the Shire of Denmark and winery owner Steve Hall call disappointing.
Mr Hall announced the cancellation at a Denmark Chamber of Commerce-hosted Business After Hours event at the winery last Thursday.
Via an email he received on November 30 from the Shire, Mr Hall was informed that 30 days was necessary for an event application to be lodged because he did not have an event-approved venue.
This was to be for combined night markets and concerts on December 29, featuring David Rastrix and others, on January 1, featuring Night Train, then every Friday afterwards on January 7, featuring Cyclone Tracee, then January 14, 21 and 28.
This was the first time Mr Hall was required to lodge the application and came in the wake of Liquor Licensing seeking comment from the Shire about the event this year.
Shire chief executive David Schober, who attended the BAH was surprised at Mr Hall’s announcement and has tried to contact Mr Hall about the matter.
He said event applications were commonplace in the Shire which did everything possible to help applicants achieve timely approvals. The Shire was required by legislation to comply with basic requirements to ensure public safety.
Approval also ensured that the community was well informed about events to maximise the positive outcomes and minimise any negative impacts.
“We know how important community events are to the heartbeat of Denmark,” Mr Schober said.
The Shire has a dedicated staff member working two days a week to assist businesses and individuals with their applications.
“As our website states, we ask applicants to apply a minimum of 30 days prior to the event to avoid disappointment,” Mr Schober said.
This would allow for any delays there might be with the approval process, for example the need to liaise with other authorities like MainRoads WA or Liquor Licensing.
“But that’s not to say we don’t do everything in our power to process applications as quickly as possible, and the 30 day guideline is often very generous,” Mr Schober said.
“Last week we approved an event application within the week in time for the event to go ahead.”
Mr Hall has been running events at the winery for 18 years, and said he was fully aware that the Shire would ‘change their minds’ and could have dealt with the application within 2-3 days.
But after receiving the email on November 30 he had cancelled the events.
“The Shire had not returned the email and they and not said anything about it at the meeting (BAH),” Mr Hall said.
“I’m not going to phone up the band and say, by the way, ‘the Shire have now said that you can do it?’. “They would not have said you can do but you need to put the application in and pay the fees and then we’ll assess it.”
Mr Hall cited illegal signs on Scotsdale Road indicating his winery which the Shire insisted he removed and the knockback of allowing campers in his carpark on a short term as other examples of the Shire being unfair to him.
This article appeared in the Denmark Bulletin, 9 December 2021.