PALACE, PALAIS: OFF TO SUPREME COURT
The Palace nightclub and the Palais Theatre in St. Kilda in Melbourne are taking their case to the Supreme Court, after losing their VCAT case last week. The long running saga is over whether the venues leases have run out or if they have another 20 or 40 years left. The VCAT ruled that the Palace's lease ran out this March.

The Palace is calling out the big guns, with talk of protest concerts by major acts and the club's Alan Evers-Buckland determined that the staff will barricade themselves inside! The Palace has spent "millions" on QCs and lawyers. Meantime, the three companies who have put up a tender to redevelop the area for $300 million have already spent $3 million.

The story is gaining momentum as a news story. A story on the dispute in The Age on Saturday was the second most hit on the Age website. On Sunday, up to 400 people attended a rally organised by St. Kilda shop keepers. Evers- Buckland is standing as a Liberal candidate in this Saturday's state elections in Steve Bracks' seat of Williamstown (Hard & Fast club founder, dj Stratos Pavlos, is running in Albert Park for the People Power party.) We hear the Palace's is planning to launch a new 5,000 capacity superclub in South Melbourne. A petition has been launched to protest against the St. Kilda triangle development. It's at www.savestkilda.org.au.

source: PBS.org.au