Yarra City Council has approved an extension to its temporary outdoor dining program until the end of October.

The temporary program has received an overwhelming approval rating of 95 per cent from residents and business owners, with local traders recognising the positive outcomes it provides as part of our COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.

Since the temporary outdoor dining program was introduced, Yarra has created over 485 additional outdoor dining spaces including 150 new footpath trading areas, 200 extensions to existing footpath trading, 130 on-street parklets and 8 large-scale outdoor dining spaces created through road or laneway closures.

Last night’s Council resolution outlines Yarra’s approach to this further temporary extension of outdoor dining.

Council will provide further updates and information on the temporary outdoor dining program in the coming days.

Council Resolution

That Council note:

• the further officer report regarding the temporary outdoor dining program for the municipality;
• the community and business owner survey results contained in summary form in the Attachment 1 and 2;
• the intention to introduce a temporary tiered fee structure for the use of kerbside carspaces as parklets until end of October 2021 (on a prorate basis of an annual fee, plus an application / inspection fee), noting that there will be further consideration by the Council to the appropriate fee structure of any more permanent program beyond that date;
• the Information Sessions held by the Mayor on 13 May and 14 May with parklet operators to enable feedback to be received on the intended fee structure; and the comments received by traders as summarised in the officer report, and
• the officer recommendation to extend the temporary outdoor dining program to end October 2021 with a tiered fee structure for parklets, to enable further time for more substantive analysis and policy work to be undertaken regarding a possible more permanent outdoor dining program for consideration by the Council in a few months time.

That Council resolve to extend the current temporary outdoor dining program comprising:

• parklets until 31 October 2021, and
• road/lane closures until 31 December 2021.

That Council resolve a tiered fee structure of a fee per car space (on a 4 monthly pro rata basis, plus an application / inspection fee), as follows

That Council further resolve that if the current State Government COVID-19 restrictions allow café and restaurant dining to resume on 4 June 2021, then the footpath trading and proposed parklet fees will commence on 1 July 2021. If the restrictions continue post 4 June 2021, then no footpath trading and proposed parklet fees will be introduced until 1 August 2021 

That Council:

• resolve to receive a further report from officers which provides the analysis of the research undertaken by independent consultants of the current temporary program and also a recommended policy position for a more permanent outdoor dining program;
• in determining this further temporary extension period until end October 2021, note that it has had particular regard to the officer report, including the matters of public safety and public liability aspects that does exist with the parklet approach due to the proximity of moving vehicles nearby;
• also acknowledge that in this extension period, if a particular issue with specific parklets arises or has consistently arisen previously that the CEO may require modifications and or removals to ensure adequate public safety, amenity and drainage aspects are attended to; and
• notes that at the end of any extension period by the Council to the temporary outdoor dining program that officers will revert back to the full compliance requirements of Footpath Trading regarding spacings and dimensions of the materials and furniture of the footpath.

That the CEO be authorised to operationalise all aspects to deliver on the Council resolutions above.