Nikki and Ryan Aitchison have dreams to restore the upper levels of the iconic pub, but plans were denied by council. Photos: Keeli Dyson.
Prominent Illawarra publicans Ryan and Nikki Aitchison are preparing to take Wollongong City Council (WCC) head on in court after their development plans were knocked back, with the pair vowing to make a lot of noise to highlight the “shortcomings” of the council’s planning system.
Failure to receive council’s approval to renovate the upper levels of The Illawarra Hotel after years of costly plans and negotiations was the final straw for the Aitchisons.
WCC cited structural integrity concerns as the main reason for refusal but the business owners claim council didn’t engage a structural engineer to inspect the building, nor did they ask one to be provided independently.
After taking over the iconic venue in 2019 and transforming the pub on the lower ground, the pair embarked on a mission to tackle the dilapidated higher levels of the hotel, formerly used for accommodation.
They ruled out restoring accommodation due to a raft of issues and also canvassed other uses for the space, which included offices or a gym.
The only other function the space could be approved for was a nightclub.
“I can’t even imagine what the community would say if we said we were doing a nightclub,” Nikki said. “I think there would be uproar.”
They decided that expanding the hospitality offerings was the best option.
“We’d keep downstairs as a humble down-to-earth pub and then create two elevated offerings, one being a beautiful restaurant on the Keira Street side and then a ballroom-style format room on the western side.”
A key requirement to achieve the grandeur of the ballroom was removing part of the flooring to create a void between levels, and while the business owners believed they had adequately addressed issues council staff had raised during discussions and inspections of the site, things didn’t go as smoothly as they’d hoped.
“We were naive walking into it,” Ryan said.
“Council supported a range of significant changes to the building that would enable operational improvements for the business,” a WCC spokesperson said.
“Council also had many conversations with the team from the Illawarra Hotel, where we asked for additional detailed information about aspects of the proposal to inform our assessments.
“It is the responsibility of the proponent to demonstrate that issues can be addressed.”
After almost two years the plan was knocked back citing concerns about “protection of the structural integrity of the heritage building through the creation of a void in the second and third levels of the building”.
Ryan claims the council process relied on one officer holding unmitigated power which ultimately influenced the final decision to reject the proposal.
“They’re just clutching at straws to say no, knowing that the more petty excuses they can throw the sooner we can get it to court and let the court do their job for them.”
The Illawarra Hotel now has its own palm tree up a pole.
A WCC spokesperson said council worked within the NSW Government’s planning legislation and Wollongong’s own Local Environmental Plan and Development Control Plan when considering DAs.
“No one individual is responsible for the assessment of a development application, and each of our in-house subject matter experts contribute their knowledge into the assessment process. In addition, the assessment is peer reviewed before a determination is issued,” they said.
The publicans will now take the matter to the Land and Environment Court.
“On a personal note for me, does this make me nervous that we’re going head-to-head with council … publicly bringing everything to light? Incredibly nervous – but I think it’s crucially important,” Nikki said.
After sharing their experience on social media and creating a petition, the pair received a flood of support.
With tongue firmly in cheek, the pair has rebranded the hotel the “pub of innovation” in a nod to Wollongong’s City of Innovation tag and even replicated the city’s controversial art installation by putting a row of palm trees up poles outside their venue.
“Being the antagonist for council and really drawing a spotlight on the hypocrisy and shortcomings of council, is only going to work in our favour,” Ryan said.
They insist the expansion of services isn’t about making more money, but giving something to the community that they deserve.
“Commercially it would make so much more sense for us to take that money, go buy a pub in another city and invest in that pub,” Ryan said.
Nikki added: “This is about leaving a legacy for the region, not for us, not for our beautiful girls; this is about adding something to the region, we want to see this through.”
