Sydney footpath feud erupts: Mayor's brutal ultimatum for restaurateur who told council 'henchmen' to get stuffed
Two officers for the City of Sydney visited busy Potts Point eatery Lady Chu on Friday evening to tell the owner to move her potted palm trees immediately.
An explosive argument ensued, caught on video by a staff member, in which restaurateur Nahji Chu said she would rather 'go to jail' than follow with their orders.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore took to social media on Wednesday to unleash on Ms Chu for her treatment of the staff.
'We have repeatedly asked Lady Chu to remove some of the unapproved planters or the umbrellas to ensure there is enough space for pedestrians,' she said.
'It's not a private courtyard, it's a public footpath – people should not be forced onto the road, especially people in a wheelchair or with a pram.'
Ms Moore said council received a complaint on Friday and visited Lady Chu to advise which items were an 'issue' and 'respectfully ask' for them to be removed as soon as possible.
'Unfortunately they then received a torrent of abuse that was then published on social media.'
During the showdown, Ms Chu told one officer: 'This is 'f***ed up, this whole city is f***ed up.'
'I'm not a f***ing naughty school kid, so don't speak to me like that.
'I'm paying f***ing taxes and I'm paying your wages, so f*** off. I'm trying to activate this f***ing dead city, so don't shut it down.'
She told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday: 'They wouldn't leave, that's why I went nuts.
'Drop a bomb at 7pm then expect me to remain calm?
'There is no fun in this city, you can't do anything or you face a fine.
'No one even leaves their house any more - they just work to make money and go and spend it overseas where they can get culture and have a good time.'
The upset was over the footpath area which has been used as an outdoor option for Ms Chu's customers from Wednesday to Sunday until 9.30pm.
The Lord Mayor said the council had approved two applications from Ms Chu to expand the outdoor space since March.
This provided seating for roughly 70 patrons but also suitable room for pedestrians to walk through, Ms Moore said.
'But we have received ongoing complaints about additional furniture, umbrellas and large planters obstructing the footpath.
'Our planning staff have met with Lady Chu multiple times. Roslyn St is narrow, and it's not possible to maintain Federal Discrimination Act accessibility standards as well as all its dining tables, planters and umbrellas.
'I commend our officers for remaining calm and professional.
'We all want to see our city buzzing. That's why we offer this space and work with businesses to enjoy it. But we must also maintain sufficient space for others.'
In the video, Ms Chu pans to the walkway between her restaurant and tables asking:
'What's the f***ing problem here, you can get through, what seems to be the problem officer?
'Beautiful trees? Beautiful umbrellas? Three people can get through?
'Right now give me the f***ing fine and I will see you in court with my lawyer.'
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The Guardian
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
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Tense moment Aussie woman unleashes the ‘world's angriest tirade' on a terrified tradie after making a shocking discovery in her backyard
A furious mother has confronted an Endeavour Energy worker in a blazing roadside showdown, accusing him of filming her while she was semi-naked in her backyard. The dramatic clash unfolded on Tuesday in Yarramundi, in Sydney 's rural north-western outskirts, when the partially-clad woman spotted a drone hovering over her property. The enraged mum immediately pulled up her pants and jumped in her car to track down whoever was operating the drone. She eventually found an energy worker packing up his drone equipment and pulled up alongside to confront him, as her daughter filmed her as she unleashed her fury. 'You were over my f***ing house, in my backyard?' she yelled at him in the expletive-laden tirade shared online under her TikTok handle of GiddyUpQueen. 'I was in my backyard and had my f***ing pants off and you were droning there.' 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My bird was screaming and told me,' she said, referring to her pet cockatoo. 'I want to see the footage. I want to see the footage from my f***ing house. Don't tell me to calm down, I just seen a drone in my backyard and I've got no pants on.' The worker replied: 'I'm happy to show you what I can.' But the woman then told him nothing would calm her down and that she wanted the authorities involved. As the worker tapped the drone monitor in an attempt to bring up the images, the woman's patience ran out. 'What an invasion of privacy,' she yelled. 'I want to see the footage or I am calling the police out here right now and I will be telling them.' The video then cut off. The woman later posted the footage to her TikTok account, tagging Endeavour Energy, NSW Police, the AFP and multiple media outlets, using the hashtag #wewantjustice. She also added the caption: 'This morning we caught Endeavour Energy recording us with a drone in our backyard. 'There's no power poles there. He took off and didn't show us the footage.' The woman Daily Mail Australia she lost her temper because there appeared to be no oversight on what the worker was filming. 'A lone man is allowed to drone over women's backyards without supervision on what he's looking at and its not being monitored. I'm really over it ... it's only girls that live here,' she said. 'They are supposed to provide the footage and we have had no response from anyone.' But an Endeavour Energy spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia records are kept and that their pilot had been undertaking a pre-summer aerial inspection - a critical safety program that helps prevent bushfires and that no video was recorded. 'Each year we inspect over 180,000 power poles in bushfire-prone areas to safeguard customers and communities. 'In 2024, we transitioned from using helicopters to drones for quieter, more precise inspections. 'The drones are operated by licensed pilots, fly along the powerline corridor and pause at the top of each pole to capture images of the asset condition with precision, speed and minimal disruption. 'They do not record video and their technology ensures they only capture pictures of the network. They also praised Aaron's ability to remain calm during the unexpected situation. 'We commend our team member, shown in the video, for his efforts in trying to support this customer. 'Our team are always open to explaining the importance of these inspections and share the images taken, as he was trying to do here.' The woman added that she was also angry because she is of the opinion she is being bullied off her property. 'We have been subjected to (workers from) Boral (who built a concrete plant across the road) p***ing out the front of our property for three years because we asked them not to once.'
