City of Sydney is under fire for curating the special entertainment precincts and state goals to expand the 24-hour economy by excluding areas and venues so as to appease vocal residents.
Chippendale is two kilometres south of the Sydney CBD, active with art, music and food and beside two of the country’s largest universities. The median resident age is 34 and local population is forecast to grow over 30 per cent in the next two decades, propelled by projects such as the ‘mega hostel’ Tech Central development.
Bhavani Baumann took on the 1886-built Chippo Hotel early 2024. George Kanellos and family have held the nearby 1877-built The Rose since 2005.
Both owners were recently informed by council staff that their locations would not been included in the special entertainment precincts (SEPs), prompting questions.
They were told residents would complain if live venues were able to increase operating hours, meaning the businesses missed out on the reforms to avoid potentially upsetting NIMBYs.
A spokesperson for City of Sydney (CoS) Council explained they had considered the greater precinct, the grouping of late trading businesses and cultural activity when determining the boundaries of SEPs. The precinct boundaries were adjusted following public consultation in 2024.
CoS SEPs are said to be based on existing late-night trading areas, suitably supported by infrastructure and transport.
A focus was to foster safe and vibrant nightlife “while maintaining residential amenity”.
Businesses will be able to present feedback on the SEPs during the next community consultation period, in 2026.
Paul Nicolaou, former AHA NSW CEO and director of Business Sydney, believes the city will be worse off under “a patchwork quilt” of SEPs and that the areas should be determined by their merits. He went further to suggest that excluding Chippendale is likely “pandering to NIMBYism” at the expense of the vibrancy measures.
Sydney councillor Olly Arkins has praised The Chippo and The Rose for striving to support local artists and bolster the live music and arts communities.
Premier Chris Minns’ COVID-busting ‘vibrancy’ reforms were designed to boost hospitality and the night-time economy. The Premier criticised CoS Council for hanging on to its own rules, including continuing to request pub patrons be seated whilst drinking, suggesting Sydney needs to follow the lead of other major international cities.
The owners of The Chippo and The Rose are requesting Council reconsider and expand the SEP, and have collected hundreds of signatures in support.
Baumann laments having to regularly evict a pub full of patrons at midnight and believes residents of Chippendale “shouldn’t and don’t expect to live” in a low-key suburb.
She offers that they are community-focused and conscious of respecting their neighbours, hoping to support the locale by providing what she sees as a “community loungeroom” for more hours each day.
“I wanted to give Sydneysiders a place to kick back, chow down and soak up some amazing atmosphere,” Baumann told PubTIC.
