Decision details

Moved by Councillor Ellsmore, seconded by Councillor Scully –

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)           community street festivals, and temporary road closures where the community comes together to meet, picnic, play and celebrate on the streets, offer residents and communities many benefits such as fostering a sense of community and connecting neighbourhoods;

(ii)         the City of Sydney has developed several successful initiatives and programs to activate the City’s main streets and neighbourhoods, including the ‘Sydney Streets’ and the extension of outdoor Alfresco Dining;

(iii)        these initiatives have been highly successful and enjoyed by businesses and communities, strengthening the social fabric of the City’s neighbourhoods. They are supported by up to $10 million per annum in Council resources, in the form of grants or direct funding, in kind support, and waiver of fees;

(iv)        at the same time, the ability for City of Sydney residents or local community organisations to apply for street closures to organise their own small neighbourhood community picnics, street parties or other events – outside of formal Council programs or supported by Council grants – can be confusing, onerous and costly;

(v)         in October 2019, Councillor Scully moved a resolution that was unanimously endorsed by Council asking the Chief Executive Officer to work with state government agencies to simplify the road closure process for community groups to facilitate the creation of ‘easy streets’, those being streets it is easy to temporarily close for local celebrations and neighbourhood events;

(vi)        the Inner West Council takes an enabling approach to neighbourhood street parties, with a simple form, ‘how to guide’ and no fees. The City of Monash Council in Melbourne have published a Street Party Guide with no costs associated with the application; and

(vii)      Councillors have also received feedback about challenges faced by local resident groups and community organisations when seeking to close their local streets for a small community fete or street festival. The barriers reported include: the complexity of forms, processing times, fees (the application fee payable to the City of Sydney to close a minor road is up to $995 per day); traffic study requirements and access to public liability insurance; and

(B)        the Chief Executive Officer be requested to provide advice to Council on:

(i)           the current application process and fees to close a street for a small neighbourhood street party, and to hold a small community fete on a local road;

(ii)         any particular restrictions on the inclusion of live music;

(iii)        what action has been taken to give effect to Council’s 2019 resolution on easy streets; and

(iv)        what short term actions can be taken by the City of Sydney Council to better enable:

(a)         community or neighbourhood street parties; and

(b)         small community festivals or fetes which involve the temporary closure of a local road. 

Carried unanimously.

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