Sydney To Receive Six New Special Entertainment Precincts

Just a week after Enmore Road was named the first Special Entertainment Precinct in Sydney, the Inner West Council has revealed that the SEP protections will cover six new areas.

Special Entertainment Precincts exist in communities hosting live music and cultural events and are designed to ensure that the scene can flourish. The six new Special Entertainment Precincts are:

• Balmain (Darling Street)

• Dulwich Hill (Marrickville Road & New Canterbury Road)

• Leichhardt (Norton Street & Parramatta Road)

• Marrickville North (Victoria & Addison Road)

• Marrickville Town Centre (Railway Parade, Marrickville Road & Illawarra Road)

• Rozelle (Darling Street & Victoria Road)

The Inner West Council proposed designating those areas as Special Entertainment Precincts back in March of this year. Why are Special Entertainment Precincts important?

They bring an extra hour of trading for venues that host live music, small-scale artistic and cultural events on main streets (without the need for a development application), outdoor dining until 11 pm, and just one government agency policing Inner West complaints in the precinct.

Spaces in the Special Entertainment Precincts also receive greater protection from unreasonable noise complaints, with the council providing a noise management plan for venues.

In a statement, Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said of today’s announcement, “The Inner West is the beating heart of Sydney’s live music scene, and we want to spread the success of what we’ve done in Enmore throughout the Inner West.

“Our Council is committed to bolstering our creative community. From White Bay Power Station as a performance venue to opening our Town Halls to our creative industry at no charge, we want life and culture in our community.”

Byrne added that the Inner West Council is “committed” to protecting creative spaces and ensuring that artists and other creatives have access to music and entertainment venues.

“Later trading as a reward for hosting gigs is a real incentive for bars, restaurants and pubs and adds to the vibrancy of the local community,” Byrne said.