By Megan Gorrey
The City of Sydney is pushing ahead with plans to allow venues in inner-city areas to trade later under proposed changes aimed at boosting nightlife and allaying residents’ concerns about noise.
Tasked with reviving Sydney’s struggling 24-hour economy, the council sought the public’s feedback on multiple changes to planning rules that manage sound at entertainment and live music venues.
The changes would make it easier for venues in the inner city, and areas such as Kings Cross, to trade later.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
It also released a proposal to create “special entertainment precincts” in some existing late-night trading areas to make it easier for businesses to operate later without a development application.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the council received more than 450 submissions, 70 per cent of which were positive, on the proposed changes, which councillors debated at a meeting on Monday night.
“It’s fantastic to have community endorsement both for special entertainment precincts, which will make it easier and more cost-effective for venues to trade later and our new plans to better balance the sound management needs of businesses and residents.”
Under the proposed changes, the council would designate existing late-night trading areas across much of the CBD as “special entertainment precincts”. This would unlock state government incentives, including making entertainment venues eligible for a two-hour extension on liquor trading on performance nights.
The changes would allow small bars, clubs, restaurants and retailers to stay open until 2am without any changes to their licence.
Similar venues in areas such as Barangaroo and Broadway, with more residential development, could operate until 1am.
The varied rules, if approved, would also mean the vast majority of nightclubs, bars, restaurants, and shops in the city centre, along Oxford Street and in Kings Cross could apply to operate 24 hours.
Under the council’s proposed changes to the rules that govern entertainment noise, existing venues and residents would be protected by a council policy that would mandate acoustic testing and soundproofing in new residential developments or new and substantially changed venues.
The changes would apply to much of Sydney’s central business district.Credit: City of Sydney
Supporters said in their submissions the changes would encourage tourism and boost the economy, enabling a “rich and diverse range of restaurants, bars and clubs to succeed”.
Opponents expressed safety concerns and worried noise from venues would disrupt their sleep, saying they “already live in a noisy city” and citing “dogs barking and car hooning”.
“There is already too much noise with people screaming, yelling, playing loud music on their phones outside residences,” one submission said.
Another thought the plans for designated late-night areas struck the right balance: “If you choose to live in these areas, you cannot expect them to be as quiet as a suburban area.”
Moore hoped applying the changes to precincts, rather than individual streets, meant many businesses would benefit “while avoiding the safety and economic impacts of saturation”.
The proposals were tweaked in response to feedback, including removing a residential section of Crown Street from the late-night trading precinct. The refined plans will go back on exhibition.
Committee for Sydney head of corporate affairs and culture policy Matt Levinson said: “What we’ve seen so far of this proposal promises to expand the options for places to go out, whether it’s in the city centre or closer to home, and that can only be a good thing for Sydney.”
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.