Byron Shire councillors have signed off on hotel giant Merivale’s modified plan to turn the former Cheeky Monkeys site into a large restaurant and bar, despite ongoing concerns from nearby residents about noise, parking and school safety.
The development, a modified version of Merivale’s previous plans, will see a large-scale, late-night venue covering approximately 1,700 square metres built on the Jonson Street site.
It will accommodate up to 455 patrons, 40 staff, and feature two of Merivale’s chain venues – Totti’s and Jimmy’s Falafel.
Approved with conditions at last week’s Council meeting, the modified development application will see outdoor dining hours limited to 10pm and indoor trading limited to midnight under a 12‑month trial.
Merivale will also be required to run a shuttle bus service to reduce parking demand, with detailed monitoring and quarterly reporting of the bus service included as a condition of consent.
However, residents speaking at the meeting questioned whether the town’s already strained streets and mixed‑use neighbourhood could absorb the new venue, particularly given that Byron Bay Public School is just 70 metres away.
They warned that the development would push noise and traffic deeper into an area that already struggles with school drop‑off and late‑night crowds.
Parking and noise key issues
Speakers pointed to the narrow surrounding streets, existing congestion and the number of children walking and cycling to the nearby primary school, urging councillors not to ‘experiment’ with safety in a busy school precinct.
Those submissions fed into a lengthy debate later in the meeting, where councillors ultimately signed off on the amended conditions for the development.
Mayor Sarah Ndiaye (Greens) told the meeting that she had gone to see Merivale’s other sites in action before deciding how to vote.
‘I’ve gone to other suburbs and seen the Ivy Bar, seen how these other Totti’s are operating, and they look like well‑oiled machines,’ Cr Ndiaye said.
‘They’re very well patronised, and they seem to be very well run. So hopefully it will be a good addition to that end of town that’s really sat dormant for pretty much a decade.’
However, the mayor also acknowledged that residents living behind and around the site would be affected.
‘People who live around there have gotten used to there not being that vibrancy there,’ she said.
‘People who’ve gotten used to waking up to no noise… will be affronted, no doubt, because people being around does create some level of noise.’
Much of the debate centred on parking and traffic.
The development will rely, at least in part, on a shuttle bus to offset a shortfall in on‑site spaces, with councillors warning that enforcement would be crucial.
‘Long story short, we will [enforce] through compliance action… I’m pretty sure if the shuttle bus isn’t working, we are going to be able to control that,’ Councillor Michael Lyon (Independent) said.
‘It is a consent condition. It must be complied with, and it must do what it’s required to do, which is to remove the need for those car parks.’
Councillors acknowledged the cumulative impact of more cars and ride‑share traffic in streets already busy with school drop‑off and pick‑up, and several flagged that broader traffic and school‑zone issues on Jonson, Middleton, and Kingsley streets would need separate attention in future transport plans.
Noise from the proposed courtyard – which faces homes in the apartment building behind the site – was another key concern, highlighted both by public access speakers and councillors.
Residents told Council they feared ‘noise pollution spewing from the courtyard’ late into the evening.
Councillor Jack Dods (Independent) said the concerns were ‘really valid’, but argued the conditions imposed – including a 10pm closure for the main outdoor area – were enough to ‘ameliorate’ the impact.
‘They do live in a commercial zone in the middle of a busy, vibrant town centre, and so that’s a trade‑off I think that people living in a situation like that are capable of stomaching,’ Cr Dods said.
Councillors backed the project with strengthened conditions on hours, noise, and transport, effectively green‑lighting Merivale’s plans.
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