A Sydney council has proposed a ‘Good Neighbour Policy’ to prevent petty complaints from shutting down licensed venues.

Under the policy, all noise and amenity complaints about pubs, clubs and small bars will go through a mitigation process.

The neighbour has to sit down with the business owner to attempt to reach a solution before legal action is taken.

Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne tells Chris Smith they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on unnecessary legal action.

“Be prepared to be a good neighbour, don’t be a complainant automatically.

“You’re not gonna have the council… spending ratepayers money on legal action unless you’re ready to sit around a table first and try and talk through a solution rather than a prosecution.

“A culture of complaint has developed and it’s putting our pub culture and our nightlife at risk and it’s time to do something about it.”

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