City Of Sydney Moves To Make Outdoor Dining Program Permanent

The City of Sydney wants to make their successful outdoor dining program permanent to boost city vibrancy and local business growth, and have proposed key changes to the Council to ensure this.

The goal with the new proposals is to limit unnecessary red tape processes and make it easier and more flexible for each business to set up outdoor dining areas if they want to, and thereby give them a greater say in how to use the outdoor spaces.

Highlights of the proposals include establishing a process to turn the on-street areas currently bordered by concrete barriers into permanent footpath extensions, allowing dining on both sides of the clear path, against a building and curb, if space permits, and increasing business certainty with five-year approvals, where possible. 

“It’s wonderful to see people out on the streets, connecting with each other and enjoying their neighbourhood while supporting local businesses. These latest changes will further enhance outdoor dining experiences, giving people more opportunity to spend time in their neighbourhood connecting with each other and supporting local businesses, while making the city more accessible for those passing through the spaces,” said Lord Mayor Clover Moore. 

However, Lord Mayor Moore emphasised that securing clear and accessible paths of travel without obstructions for all is also an essential part of these new proposals, but especially for people with disabilities or limited mobility. 

“Our priority is to ensure the city continues to have thriving outdoor dining spaces while maintaining sufficient space for others, including people with disability, those pushing prams or people with limited mobility.” 

Initiatives proven to be beneficial for both local businesses and city vibrancy

The Lord Mayor explained how the new proposals stem from the success of allowing businesses to set up dining areas on the road, with patrons protected by safe but concrete barriers back when Covid hit, and that this initiative ended up being incredibly popular with the community.

“We want to remove those barriers and build beautiful, permanent spaces that will change not just the face of our city but how we experience it,” she said.

Since 2020, the City of Sydney has approved almost 1000 applications which has created an estimated 13,000m2 of new space on roads and footpaths, supporting more than 860 businesses.

Paul Nicolaou, Executive Director of Business Sydney said that Business Sydney also sees this new initiative as a great potential for boosting Sydney as a 24-hour global city. 

“The City of Sydney changes to street dining arrangements are a serious effort to energise the vibrancy of the city building on the earlier decision to lift fees for outdoor dining.”

“Enabling operators to obtain five-year approvals is a great step forward as is replacing current concrete “bunker” arrangements with attractive street enhancements,” he said. 

If the new proposals are endorsed to the Council, the updated guidelines will be open for public comment from 12 January to 12 March 2026 to ensure the whole community can have a say on the future of outdoor dining in Sydney.