By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
The heat’s on shisha cafe owners over smoking tradition…
SHISHA cafe owners are in a fight with Greater Dandenong Council to keep their businesses open.
Ali Adam, who has run the popular Cafe Asmara in Springvale Road for the past 10 years, said he is battling a “shisha phobia” as he negotiates with the council to keep his venue’s couches, large TVs and entertainment stage.
He said council officers claimed his alcohol-free venue, which serves coffee, live music and stand-up comedy, was more of a place of assembly than a cafe.
As part of the ultimatum, the council required him to reduce the venue’s seating from 48 to 40, Mr Adam said.
“The council says it’s more of a place of assembly because people stay there longer.
“They’re not just drinking a coffee and leaving.”
Mr Adam is applying for a new permit but said the council’s stance “potentially shuts down all shisha places”.
“They are trying to stop me operating. Every owner is fighting the closure of shisha.”
Maruf Ahmed has spent $60,000 to overturn Greater Dandenong’s rejection of his proposed 50-patron shisha lounge in Buckley Street, Noble Park.
At a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing in December, the council argued against the proposal on parking grounds.
It was unacceptable to open the venue with no onsite-parking or elsewhere in the crowded commercial district, the council argued.
VCAT member Michael Nelthorpe said Mr Ahmed should expect council support for more businesses in the area to match the planned rise of multi-storey apartments in the activity centre.
He said the peak demand of 15 car spaces could be “readily accommodated” in the evenings.
“I find the lack of parking on this site will have an indiscernible impact on local amenity.”
The council won’t comment on Mr Adam’s case but insists it’s dealing with “each matter on its merits”.
“Council’s approach in each case is dependent upon the specific circumstances,” city planning director Jody Bosman said.
“In some cases it may be driven by community complaints, in others it may relate to compliance with specific legislation.
“Often it is about council taking a proactive approach to ensure community amenity is preserved.”
The council has a stated opposition on public health grounds to the exemption of shisha smoking under the Tobacco Act.
Unlike cigars and cigarettes, shisha can be smoked without age restriction inside public venues.
As part of a state review of the Tobacco Act, the council is seeking support from other councils and public health bodies to lobby the State Government to treat shisha smoking with other tobacco products.
Mr Adam argues his fruit-flavoured shisha has minimal tobacco content, estimated at less than 0.1 per cent, and causes fewer problems than alcohol.
“This shisha phobia is wrong. Most of Hollywood’s stars go to shisha places – it’s more sociable.”
