CBD outdoor dining and busking fees could be waived for another seven months

Permit fees for outdoor dining and busking in the CBD may be waived for another seven months when Melbourne City councillors vote tonight.

Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp says permit fees for outdoor dining and busking have been frozen since the program began in October 2020 and are due to be reinstated on Friday.

“I think it’s the third time now that we’re considering a deferral of those fees, recognising that the pandemic has created a lot of hardship and of course that hardship continues with Omicron,” she told Tony Jones, filling in for Neil Mitchell.

While Councillor Capp can’t reveal how she’ll vote ahead of tonight — it’s against the rules — she said “there’s previously been a lot of support for the deferral and waivers of those fees”.

“I think we’ve got a good history of this being a significant way in which we can continue to support traders.”

Since the program began, the council has gifted $1.1 million in outdoor dining infrastructure to hospitality businesses and waived $1.65 million in outdoor dining and busking fees.

Press PLAY below to hear the lord mayor on the vote + the city’s graffiti problem