It Looks Like Melbourne Will Be Getting the Al Fresco Treatment, With More Outdoor Drinking and Dining Allowances

This Sunday, Victoria is expecting a road map from Premier Dan Andrews and his government indicating an end point to the current lockdown restrictions and, hopefully, a plan to help revive what is arguably Australia’s most lively drinking and dining destination.

While any changes to most current laws will have to be approved by the state government, according to the Age , the City of Melbourne is considering a proposal based on the New York Open Restaurants initiative , where indoor seating was banned and replaced by outdoor service where possible.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp told The Age she would be pushing to waive fees for outdoor-dining permits, to relieve businesses of the additional financial pressure. She said discussions are also underway to simplify the City of Melbourne’s liquor-licensing scheme, to help businesses transition quickly to serving alcohol in outdoor-dining areas.

However, the potential move toward al fresco dining isn’t being praised by everyone in the industry. Lucas Restaurants founder Chris Lucas says any outdoor-dining plan that doesn’t come with a long-term indoor-dining solution will mean job losses.

“Without a return to indoor dining in some capacity, I believe the majority of operators will have to let go many of their full-time staff as Jobkeeper winds down,” he says. “I estimate we’ll lose over 100,000 jobs.”

Lucas wants to see the City of Melbourne emulate Sydney, where indoor dining is allowed as long as capacity limits and social distancing measures are adhered to.

“The NSW model is working. We should be following suit in Victoria as the infection rate slows.”