Decision details

Moved by Councillor Gannon, seconded by the Chair (the Lord Mayor) –

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council note:

(i)         on 27 April 2022, the 24 Hour Economy Commissioner, along with Ernst and Young, released the Flicking The Switch report that offers strategies to ‘help Sydney’s CBD turn the lights on a new era’:

(a)       this report noted the cultural and economic importance of the Sydney CBD;

(b)       the pandemic has significantly changed how people view the CBD and has altered their visitation patterns;

(c)       the market research conducted by Ernst and Young consulted 3,017 Sydneysiders to understand their attitudes towards the CBD; and

(d)       the report made 29 recommendations across five different policy areas;

(ii)        that City staff have worked collaboratively with the 24 Hour Economy Commissioner since the Commissioner was appointed, and will continue to do so;

(iii)      the City of Sydney was the first government in Australia at any level to have a late night economy strategy, and strongly advocated for the creation of a 24 Hour Economy Commissioner; and

(iv)      that without urgent and coordinated action across all levels of government the CBD will be at risk of long-term stagnation; and the City has a long and proud history of commitment to supporting the night time economy; and

(B)      the Lord Mayor be requested to:

(i)         write to Minister Stuart Ayres, and the 24 Hour Economy Commissioner to express this Council’s enthusiastic support of the report and its recommendations; and

(ii)        offer this Council’s continued assistance in any reasonable means to facilitate the introduction of the recommendations within the report.

Carried unanimously.

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