Redfern restaurant required to question customers on their mode of transport under new City of Sydney DA regulation

THE City of Sydney has been accused of turning small businesses into a personal PR service with the introduction of new enforcements requiring owners to monitor their customers’ travel movements.

City of Sydney councillor Angela Vithoulkas outside the proposed new restaurant site in Redfern. Picture: John Appleyard

Sydney councillor Angela Vithoulkas has lambasted a contentious decision to enforce a Green Travel Plan (GTP) on new Redfern restaurant proposal at 267-271 Cleveland St.

The decision, which was supported during the last council meeting, will require the small business to collect information of how people commute to the area prior to construction of the development.

Once operational the business will also have to provide information on how people travel by conducting a survey for train, bus, bicycle, walk, car, car share, motorcycle, shuttle bus or other transport options and submit annual reports.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore regularly walks around Redfern — she wants to find out what form of transport other people use.

 If the business doesn’t follow the requirements of the GTP it risks breaching its DA conditions and being forced to stop trading.

Cr Vithoulkas said the GTP, which came to fruition as a consequence of the Sydney DCP 2012, will act as a disincentive to small business by adding more red tape and further layers of complexity to Development Applications.

“In this case, the restaurant will be required to collect ... travel ... information six months prior to them taking up the tenancy,” Cr Vithoulkas said.

“The City of Sydney along with other councils signed a Business Friendly Council MOU (memorandum of understanding) with the Small Business Commissioner last September in a bid to make things easier for business and cut red tape.

“This latest development adds a bizarre regulatory hurdle that increases rather than cuts red tape.”

The Sydney councillor said the GTP will tax the limited resources of small business it is applied to.

“To enforce a GTP on a small business by legislating them into having to create a whole travel plan for their customers seems completely like bureaucracy gone mad.

“This is not about environmental sustainability; this is about the council using businesses as their own PR.

“They have decided that is it too hard to provide adequate parking schemes and as such it is easier to force the responsibility onto a business and then blame any problems due to lack of amenities directly on to that businesses.

“When did it become the responsibility of small business owners to sort out planning for the government?”

However councillor Jenny Green supported the DA enforcement stating it will encourage more people to walk and cycle in the city.

“It essentially encourages people to consider how they are going to get to a venue,” she said.

“People can be encouraged to walk or cycle by highlighting that you don’t have to come by car.”

A City of Sydney spokeswoman said the GTP would be applied on a case-by-case basis.

“A planned restaurant in Surry Hills has been asked to prepare a travel plan for customers and staff,” a spokeswoman said.

“This is due to its unusually large size (300 patrons plus staff), its location on an arterial road with no parking, and the lack of on-site parking.

“Travel Plans are used in large businesses to make sure staff and visitors are aware of the best options for walking, riding, public transport or driving. They don’t require a specific number of trips by any particular form of transport.

“Owners of the restaurant on Cleveland Street, which is close to Central Station and adequate public transport, have advised the City they are happy to prepare a plan to ensure their patrons and staff are aware of the parking shortage and the large number of alternative transport options.”

Restaurant owner of 267-271 Cleveland St, Michael Grant, said he does not regard the GTP as red tape.

“We support the introduction and council initiative of the Green Travel Plan,” Mr Grant said.

“We don’t see it as red tape or an extra burden, we see it as a value-add to the end-patrons. The Travel Plan would be incorporated into the restaurant website to help communicate the easiest and most convenient travel options for the community, to and from the restaurant.”

City of Sydney Councillor Jenny Green is in favour of the Green Travel Plan.

HOW THE GREEN TRAVEL PLAN WORKS

● The GTP requires the Redfern business to collect information six months before even opening about how customers will travel to and from the establishment.

● They will also have to develop an ongoing monitoring mechanism to ensure annual performance reporting, as well as conducting travel surveys for train, bus, bicycle, walk, car share, car, motorcycle, shuttle bus or other modes and to submit annual reports to council.

Source: The Daily Telegraph, James Gorman, July 7^th 2015