Hobart hotel faces fight to keep rocking

A HOBART hotel that has been on notice from Hobart City Council for three years over safety issues is now trying to raise $100,000 to keep the doors open.

The “save The Brisbane Hotel” GoFundMe page was set up on Sunday night after the pub was issued with a Building Notice preventing it from holding any live music events.

More than $17,500 had been donated to the cause as of 7.30pm last night.

Hotel owners Christopher “Gibbo” Giblett and Casey Bond yesterday said they were in the process of applying for a “temporary occupancy permit” that would allow them to continue holding live gigs for three months while they finalised what renovations needed to be done.

“The issue is that a change in legislation has deemed us unsafe,” Ms Bond said.

“The support we have received reinforces that we need to fight this fight and keep going.

“It’s really nice that so many people can see the value of what we do.”

Mr Giblett said the pair had put their “blood, sweat, beers and tears” into making the hotel one of “Hobart’s best live music venues” over 12 years.

“We’ve started off so many young bands here and watched them grow and I think that’s important for the state,” Mr Giblett said.

“Now we’re fighting to keep the doors open to ensure we keep the rock ‘n’ roll alive.”

Hobart City Council general manager Nick Heath responded to criticisms of the notice over the weekend, explaining that the venue did not have a certificate of occupancy to conduct live music.

“This issue has been going on for three years,” Mr Heath said. “It is an issue of safety and particularly fire compliance. The owner is well aware of our concerns and appears to be ignoring the requirements of the Building Act 2016.

“We are not the ‘fun police’. This issue is all about patron safety.”

The business partners denied turning a blind eye to the requirements but conceded they thought “it had been resolved to a further extent than it had been”.

Mr Giblett said the money raised through the crowdfunding campaign was expected to go towards four industrial exhaust fans, upgraded fire alarms, a secondary fire exit, lighting, and an accessible entrance and toilet downstairs.

He said it would also pay for necessary updates to the hallway and 10 rooms upstairs.