Outdoor Dining A Breeze For Food Businesses

Published on 14 September 2017

Tumut’s Excelsior Café has been the first business in regional New South Wales to register for the NSW Government’s Outdoor Dining Policy trial providing a spring boost to local alfresco dining.

 The Snowy Valleys Council area is one of six New South Wales councils trialing the Interim Outdoor Dining Policy.

Council’s Ranger Mel Wilkerson has been working with the owners of the Excelsior Café to bring the initiative to Tumut, and says that the simplified approvals process will boost the vibrancy of local towns and villages.

“At the moment food businesses wanting to offer outdoor dining have to comply with nine different pieces of legislation across many government agencies, familiarise themselves with local council requirements, and navigate a complex approval process,” he said

The Office of the NSW Small Business Commissioner has worked with local councils to develop the simplified outdoor dining policy and, with Service NSW, identified ways to streamline the application process.

The trial will see businesses only having to deal with a single application form and a fast-tracked approval process with Council waiving the administration fees during the trial period.

The NSW Government, along with Council, is hoping that the trial will build on the success of the Easy to do Business initiative that has cut red tape for people setting up new cafes, restaurants and small bars.

In addition to Snowy Valleys Council, the trial will also be held in the Canterbury-Bankstown, City of Parramatta, Cootamundra-Gundagai, Liverpool Plains and Queanbeyan-Palerang Local Government Areas.

The Office of the NSW Small Business Commissioner will evaluate trial results and develop a State-wide policy for businesses.

For further information on the Outdoor Dining Policy trial contact Council’s Ranger Mel Wilkerson on [email protected] or call 02 6941 2555.