Solarus residents riled at museum
A ROW has erupted between residents of the luxury Solarus unit complex in Palmer St and the not- for- profit Townsville Maritime Museum over noise.
Solarus Apartments resident Doug Kingston contacted Port of Townsville CEO Ranee Crosby on June 13 about a function being held at Townsville Maritime Museum on June 16.
The museum is on Port of Townsville land on the Palmer St bank of Ross Creek.
Mr Kingston told Ms Crosby that if a function was held at night and created noise that interfered with the “normal lifestyle” of Solarus residents, those residents would retaliate.
“We now have equipment at our disposal to enable us to fight fire with fire and cause equal disruption to the function,” Mr Kingston wrote.
The function referred to was the Cootharinga Charity Ball. In a letter sent to the editor of the Bulletin, museum managing director Esther Slocombe said Palmer St was an entertainment precinct and that Solarus Apartments was above a bar and restaurant.
“The Cootharinga function … was a charity ball. Maybe he should come to the festivities. He might be surprised. He might actually enjoy himself and it would give him a chance to donate to a really good cause instead of sitting at home,” she said.
Mr Kingston is unrepentant. He told the Bulletin the museum was not an event organiser, function centre or nightclub.
“The Maritime Museum has consistently allowed functions held in the park adjacent and in front of Solarus to create excessive noise after the 11pm deadline,” he said.
Mr Kingston said he and other residents wanted the museum to abide by the rules.
He said he called Ms Slocombe early in the evening of June 16 about his concerns regarding the Cootharinga ball.
“I called … purely to remind her the deadline for making excessive noise was 11pm and that if noise continued after that time I would first call the police and if nothing was done I would take matters into my own hands. The 1RAR Band was doing sound checks at the time and the noise was so loud that we couldn’t hear our TV, even with our front doors closed,” Mr Kingston said.
He said Ms Slocombe told him to “get a life”.
Last August Mr Kingston sent a complaint to Townsville Enterprise Ltd after its anniversary ball at the museum.
“The noise generated by this function showed a total lack of concern for local residents,” he wrote in his letter.
Mr Kingston said the noise, which included live and recorded music, was excessive and that even when he moved to the back of his apartment, he could not hear his TV.
He said that 50 noisy guests had remained in the park area at 11pm after the ball finished.
“They were shouting, yelling and screaming. Many were clearly drunk as they staggered out of the park, with one male falling into the bushes as he tried to urinate,” he said.
Mr Kingston said he had lodged complaints with the port and with the Queensland Licensing Commission.