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New plans to revitalise Oxford Street and surrounds.
Venues on Oxford Street seeking to trade during late hours will be forced to comply with a series of new controls before getting council approval, under a new plan aimed at revitalising the strip and curbing anti-social behaviour, the Lord Mayor Clover Moore has announced.
The plan, part of the council’s Oxford Street Safety Strategy, will see premises graded according to how they impact the surrounding area and all approvals will be subjected to a trial period.
Moore said that the planning instrument will promote diversity in late-night trading premises and help revitalise the precinct. The controls will also strengthen the council’s ability to manage the impact of late-night trading venues and compliment incoming liquor legislation in July, such as the Small Bars Bill.
Also included in the Safety Strategy are plans for increased patrols by police and city rangers, hosting self-defence workshops and dealing with problematic footpath congestion.
The Anti-Violence Project Safe Space will also be re-evaluated next month and the council will look into implementing standard training programs for nightclub personnel. To gain better understanding of the issue, researchers from the University of Western Sydney will also be studying violence on Oxford Street over the next three years.
Moore said that the strategy has been developed in consultation with key GLBT organisations, and its implementation will address long-standing community concerns about safety on Oxford Street.
The plan was part of a series of strategies to revitalise Oxford Street, unveiled on Tuesday night at the council’s inaugural Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Forum.
The forum, attended by more than 100 people, included presentations on the council’s vision for Oxford Street, including its revitalisation plan for the strip’s retail and arts sector, as well as how Oxford Street fitted in the council’s Sustainable Sydney 2030 Plan.
Under the Oxford Street Retail Revitalisation Strategy, the council will aim to attract local residents back into Oxford Street by providing a diverse mix of shops and services. Local residents, the strategy said, was key to the strip’s revival. The strategy is broken down into five stages, focusing on key council properties on Oxford Street including Taylor Square and Foley Street.
In line with the council’s Sustainable Sydney 2030 Project, the council also unveiled its plan to turn Oxford Street into a ‘cultural and creative hub’ by supporting local artists, fostering new talent, providing a mix of businesses in urban development, and building on the area’s creative infrastructure.
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