Councillors of Sydney’s Inner West Council have unanimously voted in favour of expediting plans to allow for safe use of public spaces by local restaurants, cafes, bars and licensed premises.
The Council will now develop outdoor and live performance guidelines to help local businesses recover from lockdowns and the cost of other COVID-19 restrictions.
Expediting the plans, will mean that guidelines should be in place to allow venues to take advantage of the State Government’s roadmap to freedom, which aims to start opening up the economy in mid-October.
According to the Inner West Council’s website, the guidelines will allow Council to trial:
- The use of public spaces – including parking spaces and temporarily closed main and side streets, and Council parks and carparks
- Expediting new or temporary applications for footpath dining
- A small grants program for hospitality businesses to hire local musicians and performers
The draft guidelines will take a suburb-by-suburb approach in recognition of the different challenges posed by different areas of the local government area.
A similar plan to allow easier access for venues to outdoor seating was introduced by City of Sydney Council last year, and was described as a hospitality gamechanger, by Paul Burnicle, General Manager of the Dolphin Hotel on Crown Street.
The Council introduced a streamlined application process makes it easier for businesses to set up tables and chairs in laneways, footpaths and parking bays.