Outdoor dining getting ready to go at Hamilton Place
Published on 22 October 2020
Work continues on preparing Monash’s hospitality businesses to open up with the rollout of a second expanded outdoor dining area.
Whilst confirmation of when restrictions will ease and businesses will reopen is still to be confirmed, Council is continuing to work with businesses so they can begin trading as soon as possible once the restrictions are lifted. On Monday (26 October) Council will begin installing the second of the expanded areas to be used for outdoor dining at Hamilton Place, Mount Waverley.
The new temporary outdoor dining areas at Mount Waverley can be viewed here.
Monash Council CEO Dr Andi Diamond said more than 100 hospitality businesses in Monash have applied for an Expression of Interest to increase their footpath dining or take up this new option for their business.
“We’re delighted so many businesses are keen to work with us on this new offering for enhanced outdoor dining in Monash,” Dr Diamond said.
“Our teams have had ongoing discussion with businesses about how they can use the footpath, pockets of open space and car parking spaces for new dining areas, and the ideas businesses have put forward are remarkable. Everyone is excited to reimagine these precincts and welcome our community, and the wider Melbourne community, back to our fantastic and reinvented dining precincts.”
The State Government’s Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Package outlines requirements that allow a maximum number of outdoor dining and limited indoor dining, to limit the spread of COVID-19.
A high priority for Council and traders was ensuring any enhanced dining on footpaths and roads met stringent safety standards. A traffic safety audit has been undertaken by Council and the spaces designated for temporary permits adhere to the recommendations in the audit report.
Council teams have also worked with traders on meeting the requirements of the hospitality and hygiene guidelines released by the State Government.
“The Enhanced Dining Precinct project has a number of phases. The first phase is to create safe dining spaces that meet the requirements of the hospitality guidelines and safety requirements. Our focus has to been to ensure that every business that wants to trade is able to do so as soon they are permitted to,” Dr Diamond said.
“The second phase of the project will focus on beautification. No doubt traders will look to make improvements to these area to make them more welcoming, and Council is also considering options and is listening to ideas from traders to make these dining areas more attractive.”
The temporary extended outdoor dining permits approved by Council will allow eligible hospitality venues to:
- expand onto footpaths
- use some on-street car parking space outside their business for outdoor dining, where appropriate
- join with neighbouring businesses to use sections of footpaths and (in some cases) street space for dining
- use some pockets of adjacent/adjoining green space where practical.
We want to make it as easy as possible for local businesses to safely welcome everyone back to the renowned cafes and restaurants we have in our municipality and to declare Monash once again Open for Business.
Media Contact: Jo Robertson 0418 391 979 or email joanne.robertson@monash.vic.gov.au