Council waives outdoor dining fees for ‘Eat Street’ traders during light rail construction

City of Parramatta Council will be waiving the outdoor dining fees for cafes, restaurants, bars and other outlets along Parramatta’s iconic ‘Eat Street’ during construction of the Parramatta Light Rail.

From 1 February 2020, Church Street will become a pedestrian-only zone between Macquarie Street and Market Street as work on the crucial project gets underway.

Outdoor dining will continue until major construction begins in June 2020. Construction will be put on hold for the important summer trading period, with temporary tables and seating to be installed between November 2020 and February 2021.

Council on Monday night agreed to waive outdoor dining fees worth almost $124,000 that would normally have been charged over those seven months (1 February to 31 May 2020 and 1 November 2020 to 31 January 2021), to help offset some of the disruption to trade.

“Eat Street is iconic and vitally important to Parramatta’s economy and social culture, and Council wants to do whatever it can to ease the burden on traders during construction of the light rail,” City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Bob Dwyer said.

“By not having to pay outdoor dining fees during this period, these businesses will be spared thousands of dollars that they can put towards other important parts of their business.”

City of Parramatta, together with Transport for NSW, have been planning events and activities to bring people to Eat Street before and during construction as part of a suite of measures.

Council also has a dedicated liaison officer who is available to help support businesses and answer any questions they have before, during and after the construction phase, alongside Transport for NSW staff.

“Light Rail in Parramatta is essential for the area’s future development and population needs, and will bring enormous benefits to the City,” Cr Dwyer said.

“The network will deliver thousands of people to the doorstep of Eat Street, reducing vehicle traffic and providing local connections to residents, workers and visitors.”

Transport for NSW released the construction timetable for Light Rail on Eat Street last week; visit Parramatta Light Rail to find out more.