North Melbourne hostel curfew scrapped

A North Melbourne hostel will now operate without a nightly curfew, with the aim of reducing late-night noise and disruption on surrounding streets.

Leisure Accommodation Collective Pty Ltd, operator of the hostel at 76-86 Howard St, successfully secured the City of Melbourne’s support to amend its planning permit, removing a long-standing condition that restricted guest entry hours.

The amendment, lodged with the council, sought to delete a condition that previously imposed an 11.30pm curfew from Sunday to Thursday, and a 1am curfew on Friday and Saturday.

While changes to conditions such as these would not typically need to go before the Future Melbourne Committee (FMC), this application was escalated due to significant community opposition.

Public consultation occurred twice, with the proposal attracting 33 objections from residents who raised concerns about amenity impacts, including noise, rubbish, and general site management.

A major concern during the initial application was a request to allow the sale and consumption of alcohol on the premises. However, this was withdrawn following backlash from the community.

As part of the revised amendment, the hostel must now operate under a Venue Management Plan, designed to improve oversight of the site and address resident concerns. The plan outlines operational measures including 24/7 staff supervision, clearer signage, designated outdoor areas, and rules for guest behaviour.

At the FMC meeting – where the amendment was unanimously endorsed – Leisure Accommodation Collective CEO, Luke Moran, said the removal of the curfew was necessary for both safety and practicality.

“We understand we’re part of a neighbourhood, and we’ve taken that seriously,” Mr Moran said.

“The curfew, in its current form, actually increases risks – we’ve had to turn away guests late at night, leaving them on the street. We want to manage this properly through a modern venue management plan that aligns with today’s standards.”

However, nearby resident Anthony Lang said the updated management plan still failed to protect locals.

“This hostel has operated since 1991, but since December last year, we and our neighbours have experienced frequent late-night disturbances and antisocial behaviour,” he said. “We’ve submitted numerous complaints without any meaningful response.”

Mr Lang was also disappointed by the consultation efforts of both the council and Leisure Accommodation Collective.

“There has been no attempt by either council or the applicant to engage with us to address these ongoing issues in a cooperative way.”

Under the new permit conditions, if the operator fails to comply with the management plan, the council will have the authority to issue breach notices and fines.

Deputy Lord Mayor Roshena Campbell backed the amendment, believing the plan would help address issues caused by guests being locked out due to the curfew.

“The inclusion of the new management plan as a condition of the permit provides the City of Melbourne with a much greater ability to monitor operations and enforce compliance,” Cr Campbell said.

Urbis consultant Laura Thomas, who worked on the application, argued the planning conditions were outdated and no longer fit the nature of modern backpacker accommodation.

“Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, youth hostels came with rigid rules like curfews and stay limits. But the backpacking experience has changed,” Ms Thomas said.

“We’ve already moved smoking areas to the basement, set rooftop closing times, and introduced a clearer complaints process. We’re doing more than what the curfew allowed – we’re being proactive.” •