In late 2021 and early 2022, City of Parramatta ran an eight week community consultation for the draft Late Night Trading Development Control Plan (LNT DCP).
The City of Parramatta recognises that late trading businesses are a crucial part of our economy and contribute many benefits to the city. The LNT DCP will assist in the city’s transition into a 24-hour CBD, with later trading in strategic and local centres, by facilitating a wider variety of things to see, do and explore while meeting the emerging needs of our communities.
The draft LNT DCP proposed:
- Late Night Trading Areas (LNTAs)
- New base and extended trading hours
- Acoustic criteria to balance vibrancy and amenity, and
- Standardised venue management requirements.
Engaging the community
To reach a wide range of community stakeholders and direct them to Participate Parramatta where they could contribute, Council used a number of methods and channels.
Residents of the Parramatta CBD were contacted by letter while subscribers to Council's Participate Parramatta, Economic Development and ePULSE newsletters were informed via email. A paid and organic social media campaign on Facebook and LinkedIn achieved a combined reach of more than 39,200 and a story appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Analysis of the feedback
All submissions made by the community were reviewed and key or common themes identified. You can explore the themes below by clicking on each heading.
Support for the night time economy
People are passionate about night life in Parramatta and recognise that a diversity of things to do, see and enjoy is a vital part of living in a changing city. This doesn’t just include restaurants, bars and clubs, but also live performance and music venues, retail and services.
Impacts of later trading
At the same time, people are also concerned about the potential or perceived impacts of more later trading and emphasised the need for balance. Noise, traffic, transport and safety were the most common issues indicated in responses to the DCP.
Implementation
Compliance and good venue practices are very important to residents and businesses in Parramatta, as well as peak bodies and the Police Local Area Command.
We received feedback that demonstrated the understanding that a safe city can also be enjoyable and inclusive. This feedback emphasised that many teams have a role to play in ensuring that we have a safe and vibrant night time economy in Parramatta, and it is important for them to be a part of this journey.
Alignment with other policies
The LNT DCP is one part of Council’s approach to managing late trading businesses and facilitating the growth of the night time economy. We received feedback that touches upon the other aspects of Council’s, as well as state agencies’ policies. It is important that we are clear how the LNT DCP fits among these policies & processes to minimise complexity in the future.
