Why it'll be easier than EVER to dine and drink in the sun this summer – as struggling restaurants, bars and cafes across Sydney are given the green light to set up tables outside
Pubs, cafes and restaurants across Sydney have been given the go-ahead to expand their outdoor seating areas in a bid to give the hospitality industry a boost following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amended liquor licensing rules in New South Wales will allow venues to operate in a COVID-safe environment while sustaining their revenue by moving patrons outside.
The new regulations are part of what has been dubbed the 'al fresco revolution' and mean the state government can turn around applications to change licence boundaries in less than a week rather than the standard process - which can take three months.
The strategy has already been adopted by 16 venues in The Rocks - a historic entertainment district overlooking the Sydney Opera House - as part of a 12-month-trial to rejuvenate the city.
Two young women eat breakfast at a cafe in Freshwater on Sydney's northern beaches on May 15. Pubs, cafes and restaurants in The Rocks will be the first to trial a fast-tracked outdoor seating approval process to bring life back to the city post-COVID-19
Well-known businesses in The Rocks to have signed up to the plan include The Glenmore, The Fortune of War, The Australian and the Orient.
Licensed venues in that area can take advantage of the new policy from October 16, before authorities extend it to the rest of Sydney on November 1.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said cafés, bars, restaurants and hotels will be able to apply for an outdoor dining licence without needing to get planning approval, making the process easier for business owners.
The move follows Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello announcing last month a taskforce to help the NSW government maximise outdoor hospitality spaces.
'We have cut through red tape to make this happen in a very short time-frame,' Mr Dominello said.
'We're working with City of Sydney and Place Management NSW, the landowner for The Rocks, to condense what was previously a three-month process involving multiple agencies, into a single application that takes a week.'
The Orient Hotel pictured on June 1 as pubs, cafes and restaurants re-opened for business on June 1. The venue is one of the 16 businesses in The Rocks to expand its seating area under the new plan
Mr Stokes said the plan would help lift Sydney out of the pandemic.
'The pandemic has had a devastating effect on the hospitality industry so this solution will not only keep our communities safer, but draw people back into the city so we can support local business and boost the economy,' he said.
Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock said councils across New South Wales are being urged to look at how they too can fast-track outdoor dining area approvals.
Earlier this month, the NSW government announced a $20million plan to revitalise its coronavirus-battered economy.
A public dining area stands empty in The Rocks on March 24 after Prime Minister Scott Morrison told pubs, restaurants and cafes across Australia to close to stem the spread of coronavirus
As well as outdoor dining areas, pop-up entertainment stages and better opening hours for cultural attractions are among the initiatives hoped to revitalise the Sydney CBD.
'The pandemic forced the CBD into a COVID hibernation and it's vital we revive our use of the city for work and pleasure, to keep people in jobs and businesses in business,' NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said in a statement.
'This summer will be a testing time for many businesses but this funding will help breath life back into the city and get our economy moving again.'
The state government has committed $15 million, and the City of Sydney another $5 million, to help businesses in the city get back on their feet.