The City of Canterbury Bankstown Council is the latest New South Wales LGA to begin a Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP) trial, to help stimulate its night-time economy.
The council has been awarded a $112k SEP Kickstart Grant to help support local businesses with late-night trading, in both Bankstown and Campsie.
For Campsie, this trial will support its Asian dining scene as well as a range of festivals and events like the Campsie Lantern Festival.
Bankstown’s trial will be supporting retail outlets, international eateries and hubs such as the Bryan Brown theatre, the Bankstown Arts Centre and a Western Sydney University campus.
SEPs, created under the Local Government Act 1993, let councils set local sound and trading rules in consultation with their communities, supported by reforms in the 24-Hour Economy Legislation Amendment (Vibrancy Reforms) Act 2023 and the 24-Hour Economy Legislation Amendment (Vibrancy Reforms) Act 2024, as well as mandatory Guidelines from the Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner.
Once established, SEPs encourage futureproofing of entertainment precincts by allowing councils to notify residents and prospective residents that they are living in a defined area supported by council.
Other councils that have received grants under this program include Liverpool City, Sutherland Shire, Fairfield, Burwood, Hornsby, Northern Beaches, Goulburn-Mulwaree, Tamworth Regional, and Byron Shire, while another twelve councils have expressed an interest in the trials.
Mayor of Canterbury-Bankstown Council Bilal El-Hayek said the precincts will bring life to the area’s business centres.
“It’s also an opportunity for local businesses to be creative and to offer new live entertainment and dining options to boost interest from residents and visitors from other parts of Sydney,” El-Hayek said.
Michael Rodrigues, 24-Hour Economy Commissioner said the program’s approach has been shaped by the SEPS in areas such as Haldon Street Lakemba, and pointed to the success of understanding community needs as vital.
“Canterbury-Bankstown Council is one of the unsung heroes of the night-time economy movement and I am pleased to see council avail itself of the Special Entertainment Precinct trial to enhance a much-loved part of South West Sydney,” Rodrigues said.
“This trial is a step in the right direction, and I look forward to seeing the results,” added El-Hayek.
Further information on SEPs can be found here.
