CALLALA Bay residents say they are fed up with the late-night drunken ruckus that follows the weddings being held on the waterfront reserve and in a property that fronts it.
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Residents said most Saturday nights are spoiled by loud music, yelling and swearing and cars racing up the street late at night.
Daylight hours are impacted by the closure of part of the waterfront reserve near the children’s playground and barbecue, a lack of parking and the endless drone of a mobile cool room.
The property at 36 Boorawine Terrace is marketed as the perfect place for a wedding with a council reserve available for hire right at its doorstep.
However, according to some, that perfect wedding experience is coming at a cost to locals and other visitors to the area.
Rudy Bakic has lived in Callala Bay for seven years. He and his wife are so concerned about the noise they have considered selling the property they’ve owned for 40 years.
“My wife so stressed she has sought medical assistance,” he said.
“It’s really bad. These parties start early on Saturday afternoon and go well into Sunday morning.
“The noise is supposed to stop at 10pm but it doesn’t and council and the police won’t do anything about it.
“The wedding ceremonies and marquees take over the area where the picnic table, barbecue and kids playground is.
“We have been paying rates here for 40 years. It would be nice if council would stick up for the residents.”
Mr Bakic said the parking issues were shocking.
”At one stage someone parked across my driveway and I couldn’t get out. I didn’t want to approach them because they were all drunk,” he said.
Another resident who did not want to be named was also considering moving from Callala Bay because of the regular disturbances.
“It’s a drunken, noisy party that goes on to 1am pretty much every weekend.
“We have registered complaints with police numerous times. They are reluctant because it’s a wedding and because they don’t have the resources.
“It’s the frequency and constant interruption to our way of life.
“And the frustration that the council’s own rules and regulations are there but not enforced.
“It is drunken parties dressed up as weddings and it evolves into people walking the streets late at night and bottles on the beach. The numbers of each party are usually about 100 people.
“I hope council will cease both ceremonies and functions in the park because council and the police have shown they can’t enforce the rules and people have taken advantage of that.
“I don’t see why people can’t just use the function centres in the area or one of council’s community halls.”
She said it was intimidating for people to approach the park when it was being used for a wedding. She said her friends had been abused by wedding guests for trying to use the children’s playground.
She claimed the weddings were having a negative effect on tourism.
“When the ceremonies are being held, people are using the boat ramp car park. A few weeks ago there was a wedding and a sailing regatta at the same time and it caused a lot of problems.”
She said the reserve was inappropriate for weddings because of the impact on the rest of the reserve, the playground and barbecue area. “It’s one of the few public areas in Callala Bay and it’s also very narrow.
“With the boat ramp and sailing club right next to it, it’s a popular area and these private weddings are impacting on a lot of activities.”
After a number of meetings between council staff and residents, council put a limit on the reserve to one function per month between January and July (except for March when there was already two booked).
Council staff would look at the situation again after that.
On December 9 council will again meet to discuss the issue of wedding tourism.
No problems, says owner
BRIAN Baldie, who owns 36 Boorawine Terrace at Callala Bay, and markets it as a wedding venue, denies it’s a problem.
The Berry resident said others who rent their houses benefit from the overflow of his guests seeking accommodation.
As for the aggrieved residents, he claims to have delivered letters asking anyone with a problem to let him know.
“After that letter I didn’t get one person ringing up to give me an earful,” he said.
“I don’t run a function centre, I provide accommodation to wedding couples and some have small party functions in the house.”
He said if any guests mention they want a marquee he directs them to council.
Council collects a fee for the hire of the reserve and Shoalhaven Mayor Joanna Gash rents out a house not far from the reserve. For this she has declared her pecuniary interest.
Garry Brown owns a house next door to Mr Baldie, at number 38, and admits he makes money from people attached to the weddings of number 36.
“I rent my house but I also stay there once or twice a month,” he said.
“Yes, I’m getting money from some of the weddings but I’m prepared to lose that to stop the weddings because I place more importance on the residential amenity,” Mr Brown said.
He said he has had no success in speaking to council, phoning the rangers or police and has decided he will be shutting the weddings down at 10pm himself.
“My kids are going to buy me a baseball bat for Christmas.”
Shoalhaven City Council Corporate and Community Services manager Craig Milburn said the wedding tourism market was too big to ignore but was an issue to be balanced with residents’ amenity.
“The increase in weddings is a result of some good marketing but there is a negative side to some aspects of it,” he said.
“We want a few select locations for ceremonies but receptions won’t be permitted,” he said.