COSTS for approved outdoor dining and footpath trading permits, and dining pop-up licences, will continue to be waived until 30 November.
Many councils statewide have been waiving fees and incentivising business to expand their outdoor dining areas since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kingston Council began waiving fees in October last year, and will continue through until this November.
Kingston Council says that since it started waiving fees it has granted 50 new footpath activity permits, 22 expanded footpath activity permits, permits for 10 parklets, and permits for 10 outdoor dining pop-up events.
Kingston mayor Steve Staikos said council is “happy to continue waiving these fees to further support businesses wherever possible, to get them through the pandemic.”
“Many of the outdoor dining permits provided by council are relatively straightforward, and businesses have been contacted about how they can continue, but there are a few that require a bit more time and investigation, to ensure we get it right,” he said.
Some residents have become worried about the effect of parklets on local parking spaces. “Council has received feedback from a number of community members, who have raised concerns that in some suburbs, outdoor dining parklets have resulted in a shortage of car parking spaces,” Cr Staikos said. “We understand that we need to get the balance right, by listening to our community, whilst doing whatever we can to support local businesses.”
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 25 August 2021
