Inner West Council: Plans for street parties after lockdown

Even with October’s promised lifting of restrictions, it is likely to be a while before we’re back to normal. But one council has released creative plans to get the party pumping ASAP.

The beers will be flowing when the state hits a vaccination rate of 80 per cent next month and party central may be Sydney’s inner west.

Streets will be closed down for parties, car parks used for music gigs and outdoor dining will thrive under a plan by the Inner West Council to celebrate the end of a gruelling lockdown.

Inner West Councillors on Tuesday night all voted in favour of a proposal by former mayor Darcy Byrne to get Sydney partying as soon as possible.

The plan would see main streets closed down to make way for outdoor dining and live music and car parks used for gigs.

Batch Brewing Company owner Andrew Fineran. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Pasan Wijesena, who owns Earl’s Juke Joint and Jacoby’s Tiki Bar, said opening up the streets and using public places would allow businesses like his to keep a full roster of employees and not just skeleton staff after lockdown.

Marrickville’s Batch Brewery owner Andrew Fineran also told the council on Tuesday night his business and others will still reeling from the first lockdowns in 2020.

Dancers at the Newtown Hotel. The inner west has long been regarded as a party hotspot. Picture: John Appleyard

Cr Byrne said the local industry needed help because it will be in dire straits when Sydney opens up again.

“There’s no way businesses will be able to recover under current conditions,” he said.

“There needs to be new creative solutions so we can welcome the huge number of local resident who wants to get outside to enjoy a meal and a drink with friends and loved ones.”

Pasan Wijesena at his bar 'Earl's Juke Joint' in Newtown. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Before the lockdown kicked in the inner west was already on the brink of becoming the party capital of Sydney.

The council had just introduced a raft of measures to lift restrictions in Enmore to allow live music to thrive again.

Venues like the Enmore’s iconic theatre were one of several in the suburb to get an 80 per cent cut in liquor licencing fees and an easing of measures in a bid to make it harder for venues to be shut down over noise complaints.

It was due to kick in just as the lockdown was announced at the end of June.

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