Extend your business trading hours
We need to assess the impact of a change to operating times.
Project Status: When you need to do this
The City of Sydney changed its planning controls to:
- allow trading past 10pm in certain parts of the local area
- encourage a diverse range of shops and business to stay open longer
- create incentives for live music and performance spaces.
If you want to trade later than your approved hours, you must apply to modify your development consent.
State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008
As part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the NSW Government put several temporary planning measures in place.
Following an evaluation, the following planning measures were shown to benefit the public and have been made permanent.
- Extended opening hours for businesses including supermarkets – most businesses in business areas will be able to open from 6am to 10pm as well as premises in industrial zone IN4. Premises within the remaining industrial zones are able to operate for 24 hours until the end of 31 January 2024.
- Businesses can operate 24 hours a day – for things like deliveries and non-trading activities in industrial and business zones.
For more details visit the NSW legislation website.
For all other trading hours we need to assess the impact of a change to operating times.
What you need to do
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Check if you’re located in a late-night trading area
If you own an existing business or want to start one and would like to know what opportunities are available, please download the late-night trading DCP summary map.
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Review the planning controls
If you’re located within an identified late night trading area, please refer to the general provisions of the Sydney Development Control Plan (see chapter 3.15 Late Night Trading).
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Lodge your application
Lodge your application to extend your trading hours through the NSW Planning Portal.
Please note: the NSW Government recently passed the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Planning Portal) Regulation 2020. This amendment introduces requirements for certain planning applications to be made through the NSW Planning Portal and enacts the Premier's mandate of ePlanning Digital Services. Some parts of this guide are no longer current.
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