OUTDOOR trading fees will be waived for businesses in east end for the second half of 2017 in a Newcastle City Council bid to offset the impact of Supercars works in surrounding streets.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The council announced the change on Friday, letting restaurants and takeaways within the designated work area slide on the fees associated with operating al fresco dining areas.
"The improvements to the streetscape permanent changes that will benefit residents and businesses long after the civil works are complete and Watt Street is returned to one of Newcastle's most striking streets,” the council’s interim chief executive Jeremy Bath said.
"It has been a difficult period for these business owners but we are getting close to the end result: a vastly improved streetscape with better footpaths, new roads and more user-friendly infrastructure."
Six businesses will benefit from the policy, the council said, with savings of between $138.50 and $1378.50.
The news comes the same day Hunter Water warned it may have a water outage for homes and businesses on Hunter, Watt and Pacific Streets on Monday as they realign and replace water mains as part of the Supercars civil works.
“A water outage for up to eight hours has been planned for Monday,” the utility provider said in a statement.
“Given that this outage would cause considerable disruption to the area, Hunter Water is working on an engineering solution that could be employed to allow the works to go ahead while maintain water supply to most properties in the area.”
Hunter Water said it would update users through its Twitter account between Friday afternoon and Monday morning.
It follows the council’s decision to alter parking arrangements in the area, giving Watt Street businesses the option to validate two-hour parking for customers in the King Street parking station.
Kerb parking in the area has also switched from all day to a combination of two and four-hour zones to increase turnover as works limit the supply in the area.
Mr Bath said the council was yet to receive any negative feedback on the parking changes, which will be retained once works are completed.
Portaloos and bottled water will be available if the shutdown proceeds.
Matt Carr
Matt began his Newcastle Herald career as a cadet in 2009. He is a Walkley nominated reporter who has covered councils, police and general news rounds across the Upper Hunter, Port Stephens, Maitland, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock and Newcastle. Now his focus is on digital storytelling and breaking news.
Matt began his Newcastle Herald career as a cadet in 2009. He is a Walkley nominated reporter who has covered councils, police and general news rounds across the Upper Hunter, Port Stephens, Maitland, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock and Newcastle. Now his focus is on digital storytelling and breaking news.
