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A year after first announcing an outdoor dining pilot program to breathe new life into Sydney's hospitality businesses, the NSW Government has today announced a $66 million statewide Alfresco Restart package for the streets to "come alive" post-lockdown.
Treasurer Matt Kean says as the state opens up to the fully vaccinated, NSW will be ready for people eager to enjoy a meal and a day out with friends and family.
“Alfresco dining is not only a great way to dine, it’s a safe way to socialise as we open up. That’s why we are supporting new outdoor entertainment and dining precincts to pop up right across the state through our $66 million Alfresco Restart initiative,” Kean says.
Minister for Digital and Customer Service Victor Dominello says the NSW Government is doing all it can to revive the hospitality and entertainment industries, while ensuring people can safely socialise in the sunshine.
“After a long winter, it’s time for Sydney to enjoy a meal or drink in the sunshine and the NSW Government is committed to helping businesses do that in time for summer,” Dominello says.
“We’re providing 5,000 hospitality businesses a $5,000 grant to get their outdoor dining venture off the ground - whether that’s to help set-up curb-side dining or a pub-style courtyard, we’re here to turn their ideas into reality.”
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes says the Government’s Alfresco Restart Package will help the hospitality, arts, and music sectors get back on their feet after a long winter in lockdown.
“After many months in lockdown, the people of NSW are ready to enjoy themselves, so we’ve thrown out the rule book with new temporary alfresco measures, while also making last year’s trials permanent,” Stokes says.
“In addition to the permanent easing of rules for dining on footpaths and public spaces, we’re temporarily allowing outdoor dining on privately-owned bowling greens and carparks, meaning businesses can expand outdoors on almost any piece of land they own to welcome more customers."
The Alfresco Restart initiatives being rolled out from November include:
- The Festival of Place - including the Long Summer Nights Program at the Rocks, Darling Harbour and The Domain, Streets as Shared Spaces Program, Summer Night Fund Program and Open Streets Program;
- Emergency temporary alfresco measures for outdoor dining in parks or on private land with the owner's consent; and
- $5,000 grants for hospitality businesses to establish new alfresco settings;
- Permanent outdoor dining as an exempt development for pubs and small bars state-wide.
Updated at 12:52pm AEDT on 14 October.
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