Hobart City Council to consider relaxing outdoor dining rules

Extending outdoor dining areas will be looked at by the Hobart City Council in a bid to help the hospitality industry get back on its feet.

HOBART City Council will consider relaxing the rules around outdoor dining to allow local hospitality businesses to expand their footprint while still adhering to social distancing rules.

Alderman Marti Zucco has put forward a notice of motion for the next general meeting on May 25 for the relaxation of outdoor dining conditions to be in place until the industry is able to operate at full capacity.

As part of the motion, the general manager would also be able to relax associated licence fees.

Marti Zucco on the North Hobart restaurant strip. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Ald Zucco said extended outdoor dining was more favourable to indoor dining from a health perspective, but businesses would need permission from their neighbours and the council.

“If an outdoor funeral can have 30 people with social distancing, why not bars, cafes and restaurants?” he said.

“As long as it doesn’t interfere with the footpaths, you’ve got permission from your neighbour or the council and it works in with regulations, this would be a great opportunity for the industry to get back on its feet and for businesses to expand their footprint in a safe, socially distanced way.”

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Ald Zucco said he understood concerns about the impact of winter weather, but believed it would be embraced by the public.

“We may not have a winter feast this year, but we could have an outdoor winter experience,” he said.

“Dark Mofo changed people’s mindsets about going out in winter, so let’s continue to embrace that, and give people an option to get out too.”

Owner of Whisk and Co in Lenah Valley, Danny Veis, would like to have more people dine outside his cafe. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

Ald Zucco said he had also written to the State Government about having businesses’ liquor licencing automatically expanded to cover the bigger footprint.

He said expansion of outdoor dining could work for businesses not just in Salamanca and North Hobart, but also Sandy Bay, the waterfront, Lenah Valley and New Town.

Owner of Lenah Valley cafe Whisk and Co, Danny Veis, said it made a lot of sense to expand outdoor dining in the current climate.

“Even if we could have 10 people inside and 10 people outside, that would be a great help,” he said.

“We’ve been really fortunate and busy through all of this and have had so much support from the Hobart community — I’ve almost cried about four times from things people have done to help us get through this.”