Kalgoorlie-Boulder council endorses draft alfresco dining policy for public consultation

More alfresco dining options could be on the horizon for Kalgoorlie-Boulder after the council endorsed a draft policy to go out for public consultation. The draft policy, approved at Monday night’s council meeting, aims to encourage and manage alfresco dining within Kalgoorlie-Boulder, and provide guidelines for local businesses to expand outdoors. It would also provide certainty to local businesses who may wish to utilise adjacent public land for alfresco dining. Mayor Glenn Wilson said alfresco dining created a relaxed atmosphere that everyone could enjoy. “We know alfresco dining can add a great vibe to the streets, making them lively and welcoming for locals and visitors alike,” he said. “These spaces are quite popular in other cities and boost economic growth. “We want to make it easier for businesses to set up outdoor dining, with clear guidelines that ensure these areas are safe and accessible for everyone.” Cr Terrence Winner said alfresco dining could help to activate spaces across the city. “A lot of cities have this, and it’s well utilised,” he said. “It’s something that many shop owners have requested, and members of the public have requested as well, for a number of years now, to have this policy in place to ensure that there is some structure around the process of how it’s considered and how it is adopted within our community.” Cr Kyran O’Donnell said alfresco dining options were expected by tourists “around the world”, but he hoped it would take into consideration people requiring wheelchair access. After a 21-day public consultation period, council will review community feedback and a further report regarding the policy will be presented at a future council meeting.