Karl Stefanovic has slammed a local council for the stringent opening hour rules imposed on an iconic Home and Away landmark in Palm Beach.

The Barrenjoey Boathouse is instantly recognisable as Alf’s Bait House and Summer Bay’s Pier Diner on Home and Away, and has been used to film exterior shots of both sites since the soap opera’s premiere in 1988.

The landmark has recently been renovated and renamed as The Joey, with owner and experienced restaurateur Ben May transforming it into a modern dining spot.

As well as opening for breakfast and lunch, Mr May wants to turn the café into an evening venue to attract more locals, tourists and Home and Away fans, but has been stopped in his tracks.

He submitted an application to the Northern Beaches Council to change the opening hours from 7am until 4pm to allow them to stay open until 11pm seven nights a week.

The Joey is currently only allowed to stay open longer until 10pm during daylight saving hours, but Mr May wants to permanently serve diners into the evenings.

However, the application was rejected by the council after a handful of residents complained about the extended hours due to concerns over noise and traffic.

Mr May appeared on Tuesday’s Today show to discuss the decision with hosts Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo, and they all expressed their outrage over the rejection.

Karl, 49, shared his disbelief that the application was rejected, despite the venue’s nearest neighbours sitting around 600m away on the other side of a nine-hole golf course.

He also slammed the council for their decision after just seven complaints were filed, compared to 132 letters of support for night trading from the local community.

‘This is a world-renowned spot […] It’s absolutely superb and it should be a place that can be enjoyed until 11pm at night. It just defies belief,’ he said.