THE woman proposing Albury's first strip club has defended her enterprise against claims it will encourage anti-social behaviour and detract from the city's family friendliness.
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Tamara Dixon, who plans to operate the Olive Street business to be known as Emberz, was reacting to opposition that has emerged in the wake of her lodging a development application in October with Albury Council.
Ms Dixon said: "I will have security to minimise all anti-social behaviour, the security will be doing patrols every half an hour and that will start from 30 minutes before opening and half an hour after we close."
![An image presented to Albury Council by a planning consultant showing how a sign outside a proposed strip club in Olive Street will appear. An image presented to Albury Council by a planning consultant showing how a sign outside a proposed strip club in Olive Street will appear.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/XJLgPnEdnKaFugZzKyL6Sw/215a0130-a0d5-4b64-b309-978ef81f707f.png/r0_16_1174_679_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The strip club, in the former Sanctuary salon, is slated to open from 7pm to 3am Wednesday to Saturday and close at midnight on Sundays, but Ms Dixon said she was open to negotiations on trading times.
"My venue will be open late at night and there will be no families or kids out late at night," she said.
"It's away from the main street and no other places will be open on Olive Street, apart from the police station."
Ms Dixon said Albury was family-friendly, but noted it has a brothel.
She said she was not surprised by the backlash.
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"I knew this was going to happen and I'm all for people having a say and raising their concerns, but I would like to work in with people about their concerns and with local businesses," Ms Dixon said.
"I've made the front of the shop very plain, there will be one sign saying Emberz but the windows will be fully blacked out and there will be sound-proof curtains inside, so there will be no way you can see in."
Ms Dixon said the petition number was not large, given the size of Albury.
"I've had a lot of great support and feedback, there's so many people for it," she said.
"There are quite a few local girls who have already been in contact with me to see if they can work as a dancer, because they now travel out of town for work."
It is proposed there will be female and male strippers with the genders alternating across nights to appeal to different audiences.
Ms Dixon expected she would employ 20 to 30 women and five to 10 men in that field.
"We're not going to attract young ones that go out and party, it will be a relaxed environment, there won't be a dance floor, there won't be a DJ," she said.
Albury Council has already received more than five objections, the minimum number for a planning matter to be decided by councillors rather than staff.
The council could not provide the precise number.
It is unlikely the matter would go before councillors for a decision before the end of the year.
Murray River police district commander Superintendent Paul Smith said his organisation would provide feedback, as it did in reviewing any development applications involving licensed premises.
There would be no special consideration due to the club's siting opposite the Albury station.
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