The Local cafe owner Ben McLachlan seeks deck return

Geelong council’s Draft Outdoor Dining Guidelines have been welcomed by a cafe owner who seeks the return of his alfresco following a spat with City Hall.

The Local cafe owner Ben McLachlan. Picture: Alison Wynd

The owner of a well-known East Geelong eatery forced to tear down its outside dining area is mulling his options ahead of new guidelines set to drop later in the year.

The Local Cafe owner Ben McLachlan was forced to take down the deck at his McKillop St venue in March after a public spat with the City of Greater Geelong, but vowed to fight to get it back.

Now, as council closes public feedback on its Draft Outdoor Dining Guidelines, Mr McLachlan is considering how he gets it done.

“We’re pleased to see clear guidelines and policies emerging for alfresco dining, which are so important for helping local businesses survive in this challenging environment,” Mr McLachlan said.

“We’re currently reviewing the details and, given the rigorous process we’ve undertaken so far, we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to re-establish our alfresco space soon.

The Local cafe owner Ben McLachlan began pulling down the deck at the venue at 1pm on Sunday March 2, with some help.

By 2.30pm, the structure was gone.

“This space continues to be valued by our wonderful community, and we’re encouraged to see Geelong moving towards solutions similar to those seen in vibrant areas like Melbourne’s CBD, Collingwood, and Fitzroy.”

Council released its draft guidelines in June after beginning community and stakeholder engagement in October.

Public consultation closed earlier this month.

Executive director of placemaking Tennille Bradley said “We were pleased to receive 38 responses during engagement from a mix of hospitality business owners, operators, and community members”.

“This included responses from those working as mobile food vendors, in bakeries, and running bars and cafes,” Ms Bradley said.

“A preliminary review of data has shown nearly 90 per cent of participants agreed that the draft guidelines were clear and easy to follow, supported safe, accessible and welcoming dining, and promoted a vibrant city.

“While there were a range of views on the priority for outdoor dining, most people felt the guidelines met a good balance between trader needs for outdoor dining and other street uses.”

The final guidelines are expected to go before council in December.

It’s now been almost five months since the deck set up as a temporary Covid-19 measure, came down.

The disagreement between the cafe and the council came to a head in January when workers arrived to tear the structure down, resulting in a customer sit-in which kicked off a tense standoff over the months that followed.

“I’ve given them everything they’ve asked for,” Mr McLachlan said at the time.

So high profile was the spat, that it reached the second highest office in the land.

“I understand this matter has been ongoing for some time,” Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said.

“I hope to see this resolved with an outcome that supports this much-loved local small business while also ensuring the safety of the community.”

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Originally published as The Local cafe owner Ben McLachlan seeks deck return