Special Entertainment Precinct in Byron Bay

A safe, walkable town centre that supports local businesses and invites people of all ages to gather, perform, share, listen, and explore.

This looks like local food trails, laneway performances, storytelling, live music under the stars, wellness events, themed fiestas, and immersive lighting installations that breathe new life into our shared spaces.

We want to support spaces where people can dance or dine — but also places where they can talk with friends, bring their kids, and enjoy a diversity of experiences that don’t revolve solely around alcohol, that provide offerings that reflect the full spectrum of the community.

It will provide a platform to support local culture, creativity, and business, and strengthen our ability to advocate for better on demand transport, lighting and public safety. 

The precinct will build on the great work already done by the community to make the Town Centre safer. Council will also work on transport, lighting, and reducing anti-social behaviour.

We’re aiming for Purple Flag accreditation, which is an international award for towns that are safe and fun at night.

Sound and trading rules will be set in a Precinct Management Plan, based on community input and expert advice. These rules will replace older ones and give more certainty to venues and residents.

The precinct will be created under the Local Government Act 1993. A Planning Proposal will be submitted to the Department of Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure for approval to establish the trial.

This Planning Proposal will be supported by:

• A Precinct Management Plan
• An Acoustic Framework
• Proposed changes to the Local Environmental Plan and Development Control Plan.

Importantly, the precinct must be formally created to enable the trial to go ahead.

We will set trading hours in the Precinct Management Plan.

We are reviewing the current trading hours and will consult with businesses about what should change.

When the precinct is established, existing trading hours on development consents that are less than the hours set by the Precinct Management Plan are ‘turned off’.

Venues with longer hours will have these maintained.

We will continue to regulate trading hours of all premises.

In consultation with the community and businesses, we will set the sound criteria framework in the Precinct Management Plan.

We are doing an acoustic study to inform this framework. This is based on NSW Government guidance.

When the precinct is established, existing sound criteria on development consents and liquor licenses will be overridden by those in the Precinct Management Plan.

Conditions on development conditions that prohibit live entertainment will not have effect.

Offensive noise provisions will not apply to venues in the precinct if they are acting in accordance with the sound criteria framework in the Precinct Management Plan.

Council will continue to regulate sound from unlicensed venues as well as non-entertainment related sound.

Liquor & Gaming NSW will continue to be responsible for managing entertainment sound complaints for licensed venues. When the precinct is established, a higher threshold for complaints will apply. The disturbances must exceed the limits in the Precinct Management Plan to be unreasonable.

Liquor & Gaming NSW will continue to be responsible for regulating liquor licences in the precinct.

Incentives exist for licensed venues with reduced liquor licensing fees and extra trading hours on a liquor licence:

• two additional hours only where live entertainment is hosted for 45 minutes after 8.00pm, and/or 
• an additional hour on other nights of the week subject to the licensed venue meeting certain conditions and notifying Liquor & Gaming NSW.