Lismore councillors will be considering waiving footpath dining fees for another year at next Tuesday’s (8 July) Lismore City Council (LCC) meeting.
‘Lismore City Council had waived outdoor dining fees for the 2024–2025 financial year, excluding Area B for the Pie Cart at 11 Magellan Street, in response to concerns from CBD operators about affordability and economic pressure,’ said the LCC agenda item.
The proposal is to waive the outdoor dining fees again for the 2025-2026 financial year followed by a 50 per cent fee reduction in 2026-2027, and full fees reinstated in 2027-2028.
This is in response to concerns from CBD operators about affordability and economic pressure.
‘Leading up to the 2024-2025 financial year, Property Officers informed outdoor dining permit holders that outdoor dining fees were being reintroduced,’ said the report to council.
‘The majority of operators expressed concerns the fees would be a financial burden, with one operator stating they could not afford the fees and would be removing the outdoor dining equipment. This decision would effectively reduce their dining space by two-thirds and would leave that dedicated outdoor section empty.’
The report further noted that the current economic situation meant many businesses were still struggling with further strain having been added due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
‘There is a risk that if the fees are not waived, the footpaths in Lismore CBD with permanent outdoor dining could become empty, contributing to a quieter, less vibrant atmosphere,’ said the report.
Cost of $29,926
Waiving the outdoor dining fee will remove $29,926 from LCC operating budget and in the staff response to the proposal, they say ‘waiving of fees is not recommended unless Council identifies an alternative funding source to cover the loss of income or reduces an expenditure budget in the Program by the proposed amount’.
The staff report points out that at present LCC is not meeting NSW Office of Local Government (OLG) financial performance benchmarks.
However, overall the recommendation is to support the proposed fee waiver and phased reintroduction plan to support the ongoing economic vitality of the CBD.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
