Special Entertainment Precincts

What is a Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP)?

A special entertainment precinct is a defined area where sound from premises with amplified music is managed by council through its noise management plan. This lets councils more easily support live music and performance in the precinct.

What are the benefits for your business?

Being in a SEP means venues and local businesses can operate in an area which is set up to support more activity and have greater certainty through more consistent trading hours and sound controls. Liquor licence incentives such as reduced fees and additional hours for venues which put on live entertainment also apply in a SEP. Extended hours may give businesses more flexibility and the opportunity to open later for festivals or special events and capitalise on increased footfall.

Benefits to your business include:

• Trading incentives for businesses: Incentives exist for licensed venues such as reduced liquor licensing fees and extra trading hours on a liquor licence (2 additional hours where live entertainment is hosted for 45 minutes after 8pm, and an additional hour on all other nights of the week).
• Higher threshold for noise complaints: Liquor and Gaming NSW regulates entertainment-related sound from licensed venues and applies a higher threshold for complaints in a SEP because the threshold of disturbed must exceed the limits in a precinct  management plan and be 'unreasonable'.
• Certainty about trading hours: A council sets the trading hours in the precinct management plan. Existing trading hours on development consents which are less than the hours set by a council in a precinct management plan are 'turned off', while venues with generous hours have these preserved. Council continues to regulate trading hours of all premises. 
• Certainty about sound emissions: A council sets the sound criteria framework in the precinct management plan. Existing sound criteria on DAs and liquor licences are overridden by those in a precinct management plan. Conditions on development consents which prohibit live entertainment do not have effect. Council continues to regulate sound from unlicensed premises as well as non-entertainment related sound. 
• Futureproofing and managing expectations: A SEP signals activation of an area and can futureproof venues from land use conflict and set expectations for local amenity through clear land use objectives. The SEP is identified in a Local Environmental Plan or State Environmental Planning Policy to provide Government oversight, certainty, and the application of trading hour incentives. Residents and people moving into a SEP are notified on planning certificates and on council websites.

Why is Council doing it?

Fairfield City Council is intending to designate Canley Heights town centre and Canley Vale town centre into a Special Entertainment Precinct. Its an opportunity to enhance local going out areas, attract greater patronage to the area and support local businesses by reducing red tape.

 

Find out more about SEPs