By SONJA KOREMANS
FEARS that a pub’s closure next month could threaten a town’s livelihood has prompted a Federal MP to make an emergency dash to the watering hole.
Barnaby Joyce will visit Drake’s Lunatic Hotel this week to meet owners Bob and Desley Kane and talk with patrons.
The Federal Agriculture Minister contacted the Kanes last week after hearing about the plight of the town’s only pub which also doubles as a convenience store, drycleaner, family restaurant and backpacker accommodation.
“Mr Joyce’s office rang and said he was upset that the business is closing and wants to talk to us to see what is going on and what led to our decision,” Mr Kane said.
“He wouldn’t like a pub like this closing down in his electorate as it’s an important part of this community.“
Lunatic Hotel is known all over the world through the international backpackers who have stayed there and the tourists dropping in on their way through to the NSW north coast and the New England region, Mr Kane said.
“Many tourists describe this hotel as the best country pub in Australia,“ Mr Kane said.
But as proud as he is of his family-oriented pub, whether it attracts a buyer or not, Lunatic Hotel will closing its doors by the end of next month.
The couple has endured unwarranted complaints about the pub for years from a handful of local people and they’ve had enough.
“It’s nothing to do with the financial side of things, our accountant said it’s the first pub he knows that is closing down and making loads of money.”
“We are likely to make our licence dormant and maybe the pub will be turned into full backpacker accommodation. “
The couple don’t want Mr Joyce’s visit to the pub to be missed by patrons, and have sent flyers to Drake’s 400 residents asking them to come along.
Customers have been left devastated by the imminent closure of their community pulse, with talks about setting up a make-shift Esky camp outside for last drinks in July.
To try to prevent the closure, a Facebook page called Save Lunatic Hotel -Drake has been started and has more than 614 likes.
Over the years, the pub has served as a fund-raising hot spot for clubs and groups and even a safehouse, with police advising women and children to drop into the pub if they felt threatened in any way.
“We will miss it greatly, it has been more like a family than a pub to us,” Mr Kane said.
