The long-time goal of creating a vibrant “night time economy” in Kiama continues.
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A number of Kiama business owners have been seeking to shift perceptions surrounding the “night time economy”.
The matter was again raised at a recent council meeting.
At the July meeting, a report reviewed a development application seeking consent for the extension of the operating hours of a café in Noble Street, Gerringong.
At the meeting, council resolved to approve the development application, subject to conditions.
Draft conditions of consent included that the hours of operation of the cafe/restaurant generally be restricted to: 7am–7pm, Monday to Wednesday; 7am–10pm, Thursday to Saturday; and 8am-10pm, Sunday and public holidays.
At the meeting, councillor Mark Honey said Kiama Tourism and the council’s Economic Development Committee were “at a wit’s end trying to form a night time economy in Kiama, to encourage people to still be on the streets and businesses open”.
“I think this is probably a great step down that way of having a night time economy in the municipality,” he said.
Measures other businesses have put in place include extending operating hours later into the evenings.
Among the owners leading the charge are My Chocolate Shoppe’s Nathan Fives, who spoke to the Kiama Independent about the issue last December.
Mr Fives said at the time that some Kiama business owners had been “working nights for some time now”.
Kiama and District Business Chamber president Marie Beikmanis said the issue was largely a seasonal one, with winter time being less appealing for residents and tourists to be out and about at night.
However, she said initiatives such as the Gerringong cafe’s extended hours were a move in the right direction.
She didn’t believe there had been much progress towards establishing a night time economy in recent times, but believed one needed to be created.
“Kiama is a bit of a dull place in the evenings at present,” she said of wintertime.
“They need a committee of the businesses in the area that are involved in that sort of thing… They need to get together, it needs to be a combined effort.
“It definitely needs a committee of the people who are involved to say whether they’re prepared to trial it.
“There needs to be some exciting lighting in the main street and the harbour so people can go for walks, and encourage people to visit the area after dark.
“They do it in other areas, and would be wonderful if it happened here.”
Lisa Kelsey, operations manager at Kiama Tourism said establishing a night time economy in winter “will always have its challenges as Kiama is very much a tourism town with our peak visitation over the summer months”.
“Kiama is also becoming renowned for its coffee and cafes rather than restaurants as such, but in saying that it’s great to see some local businesses experimenting with staying open later and adding things like live music to encourage evening patronage,” she said.
Kiama council general manager Michael Forsyth said council has committed $20,000 towards beautification works on Collins Street, including garden beds and street lighting.
“Council has also approved the extension of operating hours for businesses in commercial areas to encourage night time activity,” he said.
“Council, with NSW and federal government support, has invested significant funds in the roll-out of CCTV cameras in Kiama and Gerringong, thereby improving community safety at night.”