A grant to encourage street activation, community events and creativity in Byron Shire has been awarded to Council.
Byron Council say they were successful in gaining the $500k grant through the NSW Government’s Permit/Plug/Play program, led by Transport for NSW.
Byron Shire Mayor, Sarah Ndiaye, celebrated the funding announcement, saying it will help remove barriers for local event organisers and unlock new opportunities for street activation, community events and creativity to flow across the Shire.
“This is really exciting news and will reduce the cost and complexity of delivering street-based events in our towns,” Byron Shire Mayor, Sarah Ndiaye said.
Council’s Team Leader Place Planning, Andrew FitzGibbon, said Mullumbimby would be the focus of new place enabling infrastructure including plug-in water and power infrastructure, creating event-ready streets.
“At the same time, a raft of process improvements to event approvals, guides, templates, and systems will be made Shire-wide,” Mr FitzGibbon said.
“All of these changes and improvements will make things easier for organisers, generate more local events and activations across the Shire, and support community gatherings and cultural enrichment for us all,” he said.
According to the NSW government, the Permit/Plug/Play Program is a NSW Government initiative which supports councils across NSW to reduce the cost and complexity of delivering street-based activations by streamlining approval processes and investing in enabling place infrastructure. The program forms part of the Government’s broader Vibrant Streets Package, a more than $40 million investment aimed at revitalising public spaces and supporting local economies.
“Street-based events play a vital role in activating our local centres, bringing people together and supporting local businesses. By reducing administrative and financial barriers, the Program is expected to increase the number, quality and diversity of events happening across the Byron Shire, which would be a great outcome,” Mr FitzGibbon said.
According to the Permit/Plug/Play Program website:
The Permit/Plug/Play grant initiative aims to:
1. Improve council process efficiency and communication about temporary road closures and the street-based events that they enable;
2. Reduce the cost of delivering street-based events and temporary road closures for event proponents;
3. Focus investment on strategic locations for maximum impact;
4. Support collaborative engagement and funding; and
5. Deliver enhanced cultural, economic, and social benefits through street-based events
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