Parramatta CBD Special Entertainment Precinct Proposal

Special Entertainment Precincts are established by councils through the Local Government Act and are designated areas where extended trading hours and sound controls support live entertainment and provide operational certainty for venues, residents and businesses.

On 24 June 2024 Council endorsed the finalisation of the Late Night Trading Development Control Plan (LNT DCP) and investigations for a proposed Special Entertainment Precinct.

Establishing a Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP) is part of our commitment to supporting a thriving, diverse night-time economy and is aligned with our vision to become a global city with a vibrant night-time economy. 

The SEP proposal also aligns with Council’s broader strategic vision and complements several key initiatives and planning documents, including: 

•    Parramatta 2050 Vision
•    Night City Framework 
•    Night Time Cultural Economy Grants Program
•    Purple Flag Accreditation for safe and vibrant nightlife
•    Creative Parramatta 2025-2034 (Cultural Strategy)

Benefits include:

• Increased Foot Traffic: Extended trading hours and a concentration of venues attract more visitors, boosting patronage for restaurants, bars, cafes, and retail stores.
• Economic Growth: A lively entertainment precinct stimulates local spending, creates jobs, and attracts investment, benefitting both small businesses and larger enterprises.
• Destination awareness: Positioning Parramatta as a leading entertainment destination enhances the CBD’s reputation, drawing in events, conferences, and tourists giving greater certainty to businesses, residents and developers about activity in a defined precinct.
• Vibrant Lifestyle: Nearby residents will enjoy greater access to diverse entertainment options, from live music and theatre to late-night dining and cultural experiences, all within walking distance.
• Balance: A Special Entertainment Precinct helps balance fun and live music with residential amenity. It means late-night activity is focused in set areas with clear rules on sound, safety and trading hours. New apartments near venues must include soundproofing, so residents are better protected. 
• Stronger Community Connections: Entertainment precincts foster social interaction and inclusivity, providing spaces for people of all ages and backgrounds to come together.

Council is proposing to upgrade parts of our existing Late Night Trading Areas from our Late Night Trading Development Control Plan to a Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP).

Designating this area as a SEP would make it easier for licensed and unlicensed businesses to trade later without a development application and give businesses in the precinct access to NSW Government liquor licence fee discounts and extended licensing hours for live music.

Before a council can establish a SEP, it must first run a trial phase. This allows the council to test the precinct management plan with local businesses and the community, and to monitor and evaluate its impacts. Councils can decide how long the trial lasts, but it is generally recommended to run for 12 to 18 months.

The Late Night Trading Development Control Plan (DCP) was adopted by Council in June 2024. The DCP identifies three (3) specific Late Night Trading Areas (LNTAs) in Parramatta CBD and outlines specific trading hours and acoustic controls for each LNTA. Businesses need to lodge a development application with Council to access the specified hours.

The proposed SEP boundary includes parts of LNTA 1 and LNTA 2, identified as suitable for enhanced night-time activation. For businesses within the proposed SEP boundary, trading hours and sound controls will be set out in a Precinct Management Plan and not the LNT DCP.

The map above shows the proposed SEP boundary in red and the existing LNTA boundaries in blue. Together, the LNT DCP and SEP would form a coordinated framework for managing Parramatta’s night-time economy balancing vibrancy with safety, and supporting both residents and businesses.

Council would set out the sound controls and trading hours in a precinct management plan to provide certainty about the level of activity that is considered acceptable in the precinct. Existing DA conditions related to sound and trading hours would be overridden by controls outlined in the precinct management plan.

For licensed premises, noise and disturbance complaints related to entertainment sound will be received and managed by Liquor and Gaming NSW. For non-licensed premises, sound-related complaints will be received and managed by Council. Non-entertainment related noise from licensed venues will also be received and managed by Council.

There is a higher threshold for sound complaints in a SEP because it must be established that the venue has failed to comply with the sound management framework set out in the precinct management plan and the threshold or level of disturbance was ‘unreasonable’.

The precinct management plan does not override the liquor licence hours, which continue to be regulated by the Liquor Act 2007 and L&GNSW.

Under the Liquor Act 2007, dedicated live music and performance venues are eligible for an additional two hours of liquor trading on the night of a performance, provided the event is:
•    A live music performance or other arts/cultural event
•    At least 45 minutes long
•    Held after 8pm

Other venues (not classified as dedicated live music/performance venues) can access an additional one hour of liquor trading each night, if:
•    They host a live music or arts/cultural event of at least 45 minutes
•    The event occurs after 8pm
•    On at least two nights in any 7-day period 

SEPs help to balance vibrant night-time activity with local amenity by setting the framework for:

• Greater diversity of safe, well-managed evening activities, including live music and cultural activities.
• Enforceable sound limits to protect residents from unreasonable noise.
• Streamlined management and resolution of noise issues, reducing conflict between venues and residents.

As of August 2025, there was one permanent SEP (Enmore Road), six trials within the Inner West Council, 17 locations across 13 councils with formal resolutions to establish SEPs, and seven councils investigating future precincts.

The Enmore Road SEP, introduced in 2023, illustrates the effect of removing DA barriers. Comparative analysis of Friday-night trading hours shows a consistently higher share of late-opening businesses in Enmore than in nearby Inner West precincts. 

Council officers will review community feedback in preparing a report and recommendation for consideration at a future Council Meeting.