A butcher shop on Australia's Gold Coast said the council shut down a free weekly sausage sizzle, a Saturday offering that had become a regular stop for families, unhoused residents, and other repeat visitors.
Here's what to know
As 7NEWS Queensland reported on its TikTok account (@7newsq), Lakeside Meats was told to end the weekly cookout on Oct. 17 over alleged noncompliance, and the business could face a fine. The shop has been part of Palm Beach for over five decades.
@7newsq A Gold Coast butcher is facing a hefty fine after their free community sausage sizzles were targeted by Council. The team at Lakeside Meats have been running the event for years, to feed the homeless and build a community. Now they've been told to pack it up.
♬ original sound - 7NEWS Queensland
For about two-and-a-half years, it had been running the barbecue outside its shop as a community gathering point. In the report, the owners said the event was both a charity effort and a way to support the State Emergency Service, with free food offered and no strings attached.
One owner explained that the business has "just been working on building a community." That community included "families, the homeless, people over the road in the park," the report said.
TikTok commenters were disheartened by the report.
"Council efforts would be more useful in other areas," one wrote. "Small businesses are doing it tough and to see this one give back to their community is admirable."
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More background
According to the report, the council raised safety concerns, including the possibility that a passerby could be burned.
The business told 7NEWS the shutdown came without any warning. If the sausage sizzle stays closed, Palm Beach loses a weekly source of free food for regular attendees, including people under financial strain and people experiencing homelessness.
While there might be legitimate concerns that could be addressed as far as zoning and safety, critics suggested there had to have been a better way to address them proactively.
"How ridiculous councils have become," a commenter reacted.
What's being done?
On Oct. 19, the local councilor planned to raise the matter with the council CEO, hoping senior leadership would review or reverse the shutdown.
The station reported he also criticized the move publicly, saying, "It does sound a little bureaucratic and heavy-handed, and I'm really keen to back them in and get to the bottom of it."
Some people were already suggesting a GoFundMe campaign to help cover any penalty the shop may receive if the fine goes ahead. The next concrete step is whether council leadership offers a path for the Palm Beach business to keep serving its regulars in a compliant way.
"I'm not one to lie down and take it," one of Lakeside Meats' owners told 7NEWS.
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