Wedding Venue Closure Disrupts 48 Couples' Plans
A popular Tasmanian wedding venue, Hidden Garden Estate at Berriedale, has gone into liquidation, leaving 48 couples struggling to rearrange their weddings. This follows a notification from Glenorchy City Council about breaches of the home business permit.
Council's Permit Breach Notification
On Friday, November 7, couples were emailed with a notice titled "Sad," informing them of the permit breach identified late the previous Thursday. The venue outlined three options:
- Proceed under strict new permit conditions
- Postpone to a later date
- Cancel and receive a full refund
New Restrictions Imposed
The venue described the new limitations as severe:
- Only venue owner Diane Burrows authorized to conduct ceremonies
- Guest numbers capped at 60
- Only two vendors allowed on site, including DJ, photo booth, live music, wedding planners, and event hire suppliers
Couples had until close of business Monday, November 10, to decide how to proceed with their weddings.
Permanent Closure and Liquidation
By the afternoon of November 10, Hidden Garden Estate confirmed it would close permanently and enter liquidation. Owners Shan Strus and Diane Burrows attributed the closure to the council's strict conditions.
“The authority initiating stringent terms that effectively caused couples to vote for refunds, has forced us to close the business,”
The owners also stated they had attempted to get a reprieve from the council but were denied.
Community Response
The community has since rallied to support those impacted by the closure and liquidation of the estate.
Summary: The liquidation of Hidden Garden Estate in Tasmania, triggered by council permit breaches and restrictive conditions, forced 48 couples to cancel or postpone their weddings amid community support.