OFF THE WIRE
THE Rebels Motorcycle Club looks set to move into Kingston and some locals are less than thrilled.The outlaw bikie gxxg has turned a storage facility on a little-used road in a light industrial zone in the suburb into new clubrooms.
But it will be up to the council to give the final go-ahead.
The development application for the Browns Rd site was lodged with the Kingborough Council on December 22 and Kingston residents have until Tuesday to lodge an objection.
The application will be considered at a meeting on February 14.
"We have already received a number of formal submissions," development services manager David Masters confirmed yesterday.
"Several people have objected and we will take all representations into account when considering the application."
An anonymous resident who wants to keep the bikies out of their area has already distributed flyers throughout the suburb, alleging that the Rebels are involved in drugs and criminal activities, and warning people to lodge an objection.
But one resident told the Mercury she and others in her street were unwilling to do so because names and addresses were required on any submission.
"I don't want them here but I don't want to upset them, either," she said. "I'm very concerned."
It is understood the structural improvements required under council bylaws are likely to be met. The club has already obtained a liquor licence for their invite-only venue, conditional on the application being approved.
The application states the clubrooms would be open between 5pm and 3am, Thursday to Saturday, with four to six people onsite at any one time. The club does not intend to erect any signage and members will use a private rear carpark.
"As long as they do the right thing, I don't have a problem with it," said one Kingston resident who lives nearby.
Another said they did not care what the Rebels did "as long as they respect the neighbourhood".
"I'd be worried about the bikes being noisy but you'd expect they'd keep to themselves, which is fine by me," she said."But I do know some people are very unhappy thanks to those flyers."
The Rebels already have established clubrooms in North Hobart and at Sorell.
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/02/03/297801_most-popular-stories.html