Council to give laneway businesses the green light for outdoor dining

DARWIN Council is set to give Austin Lane businesses the green light to begin offering patrons al fresco dining

DARWIN Council is set to give Austin Lane businesses the green light to serve patrons on the road reserve, which recently got a $1.8m upgrade.

If approved at tonight’s council meeting, the proposal would include the Austin Lane and Spain Place activity zones as an outdoor dining precinct, allowing Little Miss Korea, Babylon Berlin, Good Thanks and Moorish to trade outdoors.

Given the various nature of businesses and infrastructure surrounding them, each venue will be granted different outcomes appropriate to their model.

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Darwin Council City Planning manager Josh Sattler said if council approved the outdoor dining permit, businesses would still have to seek licence alterations from the liquor commission.

“Businesses may serve directly to, or on the road reserve in the Austin Lane and Spain Place Activity Node,” he said.

“It is proposed that the loading bays adjacent businesses become clearways in the evening, to allow the use of the area, whilst keeping both roads open to vehicular traffic.”

Mr Sattler said measures would be in place to ensure all road users were safe within the 10km/h speed limit area and appropriate signage would be installed.

Babylon Berlin manager Bree Richards is excited to be one of four venues in the Austin Ln precinct who council are set to approve outdoor dining permits to. Picture Glenn Campbell

“The loading bays will be sign posted with times the bays can be used for vehicles, and then additional clear way signage will be installed to restrict usage outside these times, for outdoor dining,” he said.

Babylon Berlin will be allowed to serve drinks to patrons seated at a table outside, with the number of patrons limited to the amount of seats.

Owner Matt Mulga said given the infrastructure and amenity upgrades that had taken place to the precinct, outdoor “wining and dining” would have to eventually follow.

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“If the businesses didn’t take up the opportunity, it would be a slur on the tax payers’ money,” Mr Mulga said.

He said he hoped his staff would be serving drinks to patrons safely and responsibly as soon as possible.

“It’s going through council (tonight) … once we get the clarification we can then provide it to licensing,” he said.