An Open and Creative City: planning for culture and the night-time economy

What we’re doing

Since early 2017 we have been seeking feedback and ideas from both the community and the cultural industry on our discussion paper, An Open and Creative City.

We are now inviting your feedback on proposals to improve planning controls for cultural life, creative activities, live entertainment and the night-time economy.

The proposals: 

• Allow existing shops and business to trade in central Sydney and local centres from 7am to 10pm, 7 days a week without an additional approval
• Allow temporary small-scale cultural activities to take place in existing office, industrial, retail and community facility buildings without an approval
• Make it easier for creative and maker tenants to locate in local centres
• Allow for performance and entertainment uses at Erskineville Town Hall
• Enable the fair management of entertainment sound to protect live music and performance venues and the community from potential adverse impacts.

This exhibition includes a planning proposal to amend the Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012, a draft development control plan to amend Sydney Development Control Plan 2012, and draft technical guidelines.

The proposed planning controls available for comment are contained in the following documents:

• Amended planning proposal for proposals relating to shops and businesses trading later, small-scale cultural activities in existing retail, office, industrial and community facility buildings, creative and maker tenants in local centres and performance and entertainment uses in Erskineville Town Hall
• Draft Development Control Plan open and creative reforms and Appendix A for proposals relating to the fair management of entertainment sound and other guidance relating to small-scale cultural activities
• Draft technical guidelines for proposals relating to small-scale cultural activities proposed in spaces less than 500 sqm.

The other documents provide background to the proposals.

What happens next?

We considered all feedback and reported the results to Council and the Central Sydney Planning Committee.

Council endorsed the proposal in March 2021 and it will be sent to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment for final approval.

Main documents

Background documents