Vibrant Streets program helps NSW Councils reinvigorate community with music, culture and hospitality experiences

The NSW Government’s $15 million Vibrant Streets program will present NSW Councils with opportunities to temporarily close local streets to vehicles and offer the community more music and cultural events and boost outdoor dining experiences.

The Vibrant Streets program will be available to councils from early next year and will help reduce the cost and complexity for communities to use the streets they own.  The Vibrant Streets program complements the NSW Government’s Vibrancy Package, which passed Parliament in November and backs live music, encourages the creation of more local entertainment zones, and will prevent single complainants from shutting down venues.

Transport for NSW Executive Director Cities Revitalisation, Brooke Wharton said communities want to be able to easily access and enjoy their streets for social and cultural activities.  

Wharton notes “this package of initiatives creates more opportunities to have fun outdoors by making it cheaper to arrange events and removing the often slow and complex application processes involved in delivering street activations.

“Through the Vibrant Streets program, both financial and non-financial support will be provided to participating councils to help reinvigorate streets with music, culture, and dining experiences, and allowing food venues to expand into the street.

“These activations will help make spaces feel safer and more welcoming and support local employment and business.”

The Vibrant Streets program includes two packages:

• Open Streets – A grant funding program for NSW councils to temporarily close streets and open them for people to use and enjoy. Applications for councils opens in January 2024.

• Permit/Plug/Play Pilot – A program partnering with pilot councils to help reduce the cost and complexity of delivering street-based events through an innovative “local problems, local solutions” model to allow for global pre-approvals for streets as event sites. 

In addition to the Vibrant Street program and the new legislation, Transport for NSW has also introduced its own initiatives to encourage more events and activities on local streets.

The first is a change to the Roads Regulations to make it easier for communities to hold neighbourhood street events.

It gives councils the power to approve road closures for neighbourhood gatherings on minor roads – such as a community party or holiday event - without approval from Transport for NSW.

The second initiative is a new Temporary Delegation being released this week, which gives councils the authority to design and deliver pedestrian crossings, bike lanes, street trees and parking changes to make streets more liveable and better support walking and cycling. 

Works under the delegation can now be undertaken without referral to a local traffic committee or Transport for NSW.

More information is available on Transport for NSW’s website about the Neighbourhood Activity Guidelines and the Temporary Delegation.

Image. NSW Shared Streets Randwick McKeons St Plaza Opening. Credit: Transport for NSW