City to slash footpath dining fees
The City of Sydney Council is to slash footpath dining fees for cafes, restaurants and bars by 50 per cent, commencing January 1.
Under a plan to be placed on exhibition for 28 days for public comment, fees will be cut by half in CBD laneways and across the city’s ‘villages’, including Darlinghurst, Potts Point, Glebe and Surry Hills, for a trial period of 18 months.
The plan, proposed by Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore at last Monday’s Council meeting, was passed by a majority of councillors. In her Lord Mayoral Minute to Council proposing the reduction, Ms Moore said a reduction in footpath dining fees would help stimulate the night-time economy and outdoor dining in general.
“For the last year or so, the City has been working closely with residents, businesses, visitors, government agencies, relevant organisations and the police to find out what kind of late night city people want,” she said.
“There was strong demand for more opportunities for [high] quality restaurants and cafes to be open late at night. This included opportunities for outdoor dining, which at night help make a street safer by providing passive surveillance.”
Ms Moore said that while halving footway dining licence fees would reduce the City’s revenue, the City had to balance the competing interests of residents, patrons and businesses.
“It’s estimated that the reduced fees will impact the City’s income budget by $340,000 for the remainder of the 2012/2013 financial year and up to $680,000 for the full 2013/2014 financial year.
“I am recommending that staff reassess the City’s entire policy on outdoor dining, including regulation, assessment and approval to ensure responsible operators have viable opportunities to offer [high] quality outdoor dining experiences.”
Perhaps surprisingly, Liberal Councillor Christine Forster and Living Sydney Councillor Angela Vithoulkas – who is also CEO of Vivo Café in the CBD – voted against Ms Moore’s proposal. Crs Forster and Vithoulkas had both called for pavement dining fees to be abolished during the local government election campaign.
Neither councillor could be reached for comment by press time.
