City of Sydney looks to shake-up late night trading controls
Sydney’s reputation as a lights out after dark city may be a thing of the past with new changes proposed by the City of Sydney to extend 24-hour trading across Sydney’s entire city-centre.
The draft planning controls would also allow shops, businesses and low-impact food and drink venues on high streets to trade until 2am and include new late-night trading areas in growing inner-city neighbourhoods, such as Barangaroo and Green Square.
The proposed changes follow a consultation with the public that saw 10,000 people give their feedback. Lord Mayor Clover Moore said “the overwhelming majority said they want Sydney to have a diverse and exciting night-time economy”.
"They respond to the very strong demand for a thriving, late-night city and set the foundations for a truly 24-hour Sydney into the future,” she said.
The new proposals in the draft development control plan include a 24-hour city centre; later hours in local centres; new late night trading established in fast-growing neighbourhoods including Barangaroo, the Green Square town centre, Danks Street in Waterloo and around the East Village shopping centre in Zetland; a new cultural precinct; and extended hours for unlicensed businesses.
The draft planning controls will be considered by council on 19 November. If the proposals are adopted, businesses would need to apply for the new trading hours through a development application process.
"The changes we are proposing to our controls manage the balance between allowing well-managed venues to continue to trade, and any impacts on local neighbourhoods," Moore said.
Sheridan Randall, 7th November 2018
