Residents toughen stance on ATET

A group of Docklands residents is seeking to increase its influence by forming an incorporated group and posting a crowd funding pitch for $15,000.

Ross Malcomson is one of six high-profile residents to form Residents of Docklands Inc.

The group is targeting noise control; specifically that related to the ATET nightclub.

The crowd funding post went up on Facebook pages around Docklands in February and raised more than $1000 within the first week.

“We’re doing research into sound mitigation,” Mr Malcomson said. “It exists and we want it applied to ATET.”

The group meets regularly with the aim of focusing the community response to the nighclub, which included more than 1200 signatures to a petition.

“The council said they’ve never had so many complaints. How can we take that people power and do something with it? We want to come up with solutions,” Mr Malcomson said. “We don’t want to close the nightclub down.”

Mr Malcomson lives with his wife Penny in the Voyager tower at Yarra’s Edge, directly across the Yarra River from the nightclub.

The couple bought an apartment and moved in during 2021 to be close to their children in South Melbourne.

They like the sounds of the river; the rowers in the morning, the occasional helicopter, the football at Marvel Stadium, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers who played there recently.

“The sounds of the party boats dissipate because they’re mobile, and the superyachts aren’t a problem, but my wife, she can’t live with ATET. She gets emotional.”

Penny said that when the bass started up four nights a week the windows rattled in their apartment and, by the time the music stopped at midnight or 1am, she couldn’t go back to sleep.

Penny works as a teacher in Mornington and gets up at 5.30am. She’s been forced to move into a back bedroom on the nights the club is open.

“If this had happened in other cities around the world, a club would have to meet up with residents before opening. We were here first,” the Malcolmsons said.

The problem, according to Residents of Docklands Inc., is that the nightclub is being treated as an indoor facility.

“The council has two categories, outdoor and indoor. Outdoor applies to venues such as the MCG and Marvel Stadium.”

Mr Malcolmson said that indoor facilities had walls and a roof to mitigate sound, but ATET only had plastic.

“We’re learning a lot about sound. It travels across water and up buildings. It can be louder at the top of buildings,” he said.

The Malcolmsons say that if they can’t resolve the issue within six months they will have to sell up.

“I come from a very volatile industry. You have to stay calm, tell the truth and play a straight bat. Don’t get emotional. You have to keep focused,” Mr Malcomson said. •

Caption: Ross and Penny Malcomson overlooking the ATET nightclub.