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Council decisions and development applications for City of Sydney. Written from the public record. Every claim links to its source.

From the council meeting

Council asks for power to extend trading hours during special events

City of Sydney councillors voted unanimously to ask the NSW Department of Planning to let the council set later hours for non-licensed venues during special events.

5 October 2026 · source: Council Meetings 2026-03-23, 23 Mar 2026 · written by software from the public record

Key facts

When
Council Meetings 2026-03-23, 23 March 2026
Decided by
the council
Watch
the meeting webcast
Sydney
Sydney. Photo: Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Councillor Arkins moved item 13.3, which asks the Department of Planning to look at letting the council set its own trading hours for non-licensed venues during special events, rather than limiting them to midnight.

Councillor Arkins said councils can declare special events under the Codes SEPP but can approve extended trading only until midnight, while the state government allowed licensed premises to trade until 6am on the Mardi Gras parade weekend.

The councillor said the city's extended hours for non-licensed businesses over the parade weekend drew strong support.

The Deputy Lord Mayor seconded the motion. It was carried unanimously.

Watch the council discuss it: the webcast starts where this item came up.

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