Happy as club closes

By Rebecca Fraser
AN Emerald woman whose son died after being punched outside a Narre Warren nightclub says she is glad the venue closed down.
Robert Street died after receiving a blow to the face during a fight in front of the Brass Monkey nightclub on 15 December, 2002. He was 20.
The club later changed names to Furnace Nite Club and venue operators announced the closure of the troubleplagued nightspot a fortnight ago.
Operators blamed pressure from police and liquor licensing authorities as the main reasons for the closure.
Lorraine Street said she welcomed the move, saying the venue was a dangerous place.
“I am very happy about that,” she said.
“I could never go near it again or even walk past it.
“It was a dangerous place in a bad spot.
“There was just something about it. I walked past a few times and saw all the people lining up. It scared me.
“It really was an unsafe place and I am pleased to see it has closed,” she said.
In March 2005, Narre Warren plasterer Luke Biggs was found guilty of manslaughter for fatally injuring Mr Street.
A County Court jury rejected Biggs’ claim that he was acting in selfdefence when he hit Mr Street in the mouth after a brief exchange of words.
Mr Street was knocked unconscious when his head hit the pavement.
He fractured his skull but refused to be taken to hospital and was found dead in bed 30 hours later.
Judge Leo Hart sentenced Biggs to fourandahalf years’ jail but Mrs Street said he could be out by next October if he is granted parole.
She said she believed that young people needed local entertainment venues but they needed to be built in the right location and have sufficient security.
“They (the nightclub) absolutely needed more security and the issue needs to be addressed,” Mrs Street said.
“Robbie might not have been hit if there had been more security to move people on instead of being left standing out the front of the club,” she said.
Mrs Street said her family and Robert’s friends were still struggling to come to terms with the young musician’s death.
She said her son had only been to the Narre Warren nightclub once or twice and his friends had never returned to the venue.
“We are not doing much better than when it first happened.
“It is still very fresh and still feels like it happened only yesterday.
“We will never get over it.
“Robbie’s friends still come over all the time and they are not coping.
“They still find it very hard and break down in tears.
“Not one of them went back after it happened — that place just had a bad feeling,” she said.
Furnace owner Charlie Strojek said the club had cleaned up its act, increased security and patron behaviour had greatly improved.
He said it was unfair that the club, which has changed names and ownership three times since 2002, continued to be associated with incidents that occurred years ago.
Mr Strojek said the closure of the club would mean that young people from Casey and Cardinia would have nowhere to go.
He said many fans of the Furnace were in tears when they heard of the closure.