The Director-General of Licensing is “considering” an application made by the grill’s applicants to review the decision.

Under new rules adopted by the government, any review could now involve a public hearing.

The government on December 16 refused the application after a long-running battle involving most of last year.

“After reviewing the delegate (of the Director-General) decision, the Director-General must either affirm the decision, vary the decision or set aside the decision and substitute a new decision,” a government spokesman said.

The proposed bar-restaurant in Second Street had applied for a licence to sell liquor between 10am-10pm Monday to Thursday and from 10am- to 2am on Friday and Saturday.

The business sought to provide a dining and take-away food restaurant, live entertainment, amplified music with DJs and streamed video performances, sporting events, festivals and other nightclub entertainment.

Twelve submissions on the licence application were received from local government and non-government organisations as well as from individual members of the public.

The development application had been approved by the Development Consent Authority in May.

The fact that Katherine already has 21 liquor licences helped defeat the application.

Only 19 off-street car parks were to have been provided for the nightclub-restaurant when there was already limited parking in Second Street, the licensing authority was told.

A number of town organisations opposed the application including the police, the Katherine Region Action Group, the Katherine Women’s Information and Legal Service, the adjacent Catholic church and the Legal Aid Commission.