Oxford Street, the heart of Sydney’s LGBTQ+ nightlife, could soon be recognised as a special entertainment precinct under new City of Sydney planning proposals aimed at reinvigorating the city’s nighttime economy.
The draft changes put the onus for sound management on new development, giving “sound rights” to existing venues or residents, and make it easier to trial extended trading hours.

At its first meeting of the new term, the City of Sydney council unanimously endorsed the draft entertainment sound management development control plan and special entertainment precincts discussion paper for public comment. The special entertainment precincts cover eight areas across Sydney, including Oxford Street and its surrounds.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said that the proposals aim to simplify and reduce the costs associated with later trading for venues, while also seeking a balance between the needs of businesses and residents.
“We all want a nightlife we can be proud of and that our global city deserves,” Moore said.
“On the back of lockouts and lockdowns and amidst increasing cost-of-living pressures, we need to ensure we are doing all we can to support this integral part of Sydney’s economic, social and cultural fabric.”
The draft planning changes would mean newly built residential developments located in close proximity to entertainment venues will need to include noise protection measures, such as installing double-glazed windows and acoustic frames.
The city has proposed eight late-night areas to be considered for special entertainment precinct status:
- The Oxford Street precinct including Crown and Bourke streets
- Surry Hills along Crown and Elizabeth streets
- Central Sydney from Central Station to The Rocks, including Haymarket, YCK and the Ivy precinct on George Street
- Kings Cross, Macleay, William and Stanley streets
- King Street and Erskineville Road
- Redfern Street, Botany Road and South Eveleigh
- Green Square, north Alexandria and Danks Street
- Central Park, Broadway and Glebe Point Road
Some of the benefits that come with being labelled a special precinct include all venues being eligible for an hour extension on liquor trading every night of the week and a two-hour extension on liquor trading on the night of a performance for live music venues.
“Special entertainment precinct status will build on the extended hours and incentives in our current late-night trading areas by providing sound management certainty, extended trading for live music and performance, and an 80 per cent discount on liquor licence fees,” Lord Mayor Clove Moore said.
For venues on Oxford Street, the proposed changes mean most venues could operate indoors from 6am to 2am, which increases by an hour if they have a live music performance or other art event after 8pm.
The guidelines for these precincts were first released by the Office of the NSW 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues, who welcomed the discussion paper.
“The Office of the 24-Hour Economy values our ongoing partnership and collaboration with the City of Sydney and we appreciate the City of Sydney’s initiatives to improve Sydney’s nighttime economy,” Rodrigues said.
The proposals are part of a push by the state government to reform the state’s nightlife.
Sydney’s night-time economy is estimated to generate more than $4.7 billion in revenue every year, with more than 5900 businesses employing more than 34,000 people.
“A strong night-time economy is critical to a global city like Sydney and the centres of commerce right across NSW,” said NSW Night-time Economy Minister John Graham.
Other changes by the state government include tearing up restrictions on licensed venues that include “no entertainment” clauses or dictate what genre of music or even how many musicians can play and lifting restrictions that prohibit stranding while drinking outdoors.
The government also want to ensure that residents and other property purchasers are notified on their planning certificates if they are buying a property in an entertainment precinct. Known as an “eyes wide open” clause, it is intended to ease tensions between venues and their neighbours, according to the state government.
Moore said the state’s reforms and the city’s own proposals would help to boost the city’s nightlife and make a real difference to the sector.
“The City of Sydney is home to a diverse nightlife, with a long history of mixed and vibrant neighbourhoods. We will continue doing all we can to support the continued growth of the nighttime economy while accommodating new housing in well-located areas,” she said.
The City of Sydney is now seeking community and business feedback, which it will then review.
Gay Sydney News reporter