North Sydney: open space to be come trading areas in Covid business boost

Business owners would be able to boost customer numbers under a council move to turn parks, footpaths and even carparking spaces into trading zones. But not everyone is on board the plan.

Struggling business owners will be able to expand their operations onto public land under a plan to boost the number of customers they can serve as Sydney’s Covid restrictions ease.

North Sydney Council has backed a move to allow businesses to take their tables and chairs into the great outdoors as a way of enticing locals back into shops and making up for lost profits during Sydney’s gruelling winter lockdown.

Footpaths, parks and even carparking spaces will be able to be temporarily converted into trading areas for businesses such as restaurants, cafes, gift shops and florists.

Outdoor dining will be encouraged in North Sydney.

The State Government’s road map out of Covid will allow hospitality venues to be able to operate at one person per 2 sqm outdoors from the Monday after NSW hits the 80 per cent double dose vaccination target – double the one person per 4 sqm limit indoors.

North Sydney Council said businesses could lodge an expression of interest for the use of adjacent public spaces and applications would be approved on the proviso health and safety standards and pedestrian access are maintained.

North Sydney Mayor Jilly Gibson, who proposed the outdoor move, said the use of open space could revive town centres and support small businesses that currently lack outdoor seating.

Botanica Garden Cafe is planning to take up the move.

“Businesses are crying out for council help and we want them to help them make up for the trade they’ve lost over winter,” she said.

“It’s designed to be rolled out very quickly when restrictions are lifted. There are areas of the local government area that are perfect for it.

“We’ve got florists, cafes, chocolate shops that could set up tables or chairs outside. There are lots of imaginative ways businesses could take advantage of it.”

Some businesses have already expressed interest in the move to outdoors including Botanica Garden Cafe in Waverton next to Bay Rd Reserve.

“Waverton has been very quiet compared to other areas but if we can serve more customers at a time hopefully it would mean people come back to the area,” owner Minh Duong said.

“It’s been tough during lockdown but we’ve hung in there doing takeaway meals.”

Speaking at Monday’s council meeting, North Sydney councillor Zoe Baker said the outdoor plan was a “generous” idea but raised concerns it could benefit some businesses over those without access to adjacent public space.

The relaxed restrictions will apply to areas including Crows Nest.

Councillor MaryAnne Beregi raised similar concerns, adding it was “effectively privatising public open space”.

“From what I can understand (the) suggestion is cafes and restaurants can put their tables out in public spaces and only their customers can sit on their tables in this public space, which is effectively taking away from others their opportunity to use the public open space,” she said.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate at a time when we’re all being told to be outdoors – if someone brings their lunch and wants to sit out in the sunshine are we going to stop them from doing `it?”

The council’s general manager Ken Gouldthorp said each application would be assessed on a “case-by-case” basis.

“Already we’ve enabled certain construction sites to push out on their boundaries and we’ve had a wide range of other requests – it’s not taking over separate parks, it will apply to adjacent space,” he said.

Cr Gibson said council will write to small business owners in coming days informing them of the public space changes.

Other businesses including Bravo Trattoria – next to Ernest Street Plaza in Crows Nest – said they are also considering taking up the move.

The use of public space is on top of the council’s outdoor licence fee waivers that remains in place until January next year.

A council report showed it has lost approximately $365,000 in revenue from waiving the fee in the first half of this year.