The following residents of the ACT draw the attention of the Assembly that: The ACT government’s extraordinary changes to the outdoor dining guidelines for Garema Place are contradictory to the lived experience of stakeholders, both businesses and clients Winters in Canberra are inhospitable to unprotected outdoor dining, even with heaters.
The Garema Place Outdoor Dining Toolkit was seemingly developed without any awareness of Canberra’s climate. Whilst businesses are supportive of the upgrades to Garema Place, and the Government’s attempts to make Garema Place a desirable place to visit, the changes to outdoor dining rules will have a detrimental impact on Garema Place traders.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to call upon the ACT Government to:
Accept that small businesses are at the heart of the CBD experience for Canberrans and visitors and stop making life harder for those businesses;
Change the guidelines for outdoor dining in Garema Place to allow shelters that are more suitable to Canberra’s climate;
Genuinely consult with traders drawing on their lived experience when creating future outdoor dining related guidelines; and
Discuss protocols for the implementation of future regulatory changes with businesses before significant investments are approved.