Special Entertainment Precincts (SEPs) are defined areas where trading hours and sound conditions encourage live performance and later trading businesses and support safe, diverse, and vibrant going out districts.

SEPs can benefit local venues and businesses, as well as residents and visitors who can enjoy the upside of improved town centre or high street amenity.

A SEP can include measures such as:

• A trading hour extension for licensed venues, including 2 hours on nights they offer live music, and one hour on other nights

• Allowance for entertainment sound that is regulated under the precinct management plan (including patron noise and non-amplified music)

• New powers for councils to set trading hours in a precinct management plan to support diverse late-night offerings which override the trading hours on a development consent

• Approval for later outdoor dining

• New residential development within the SEP is required to soundproof against entertainment sound

• Special Entertainment Precincts also enable opportunities for our creative communities and boost vibrancy into our centres for locals and visitors

The SEP framework was introduced by the NSW Government as part of Vibrancy Reforms | NSW Government intended to boost local night-time economies, protect the live music and performance industry and create vibrant centres.

Council has undertaken significant consultation about the future of the Shire and the future of Hornsby Town Centre in recent years through the production of the Hornsby Town Centre Masterplan and more broadly through the production of the Local Strategic Planning Statement, Community Strategic Plan and associated informing strategic documents.

The adopted vision for the Hornsby Town Centre is:

A place for people that reflects the uniqueness of the bushland setting, integrated around key public spaces, where the city meets the bush. An active, thriving centre that exhibits economic diversity, design excellence, liveability and sustainability.

This proposed SEP will support a long-term vision for a thriving, vibrant and safe night-time economy in Hornsby Town Centre.

The Hornsby Transport Oriented Development (TOD) is a significant long-term goal aimed at transforming the Hornsby Town Centre into a vibrant, well-connected urban area.

The Hornsby TOD is part of the accelerated Transport Oriented Development program led by the NSW Government. The project deliverables include:

• Capacity for over 6,000 new homes and 2,900 new jobs across the precinct.
• Affordable housing contribution of between 3% to 10% for all new residential development in the precinct.
• New and upgraded parks and open space, a new library, community centre, cultural and creative facilities.
• Greener streets with better connectivity for walking and cycling

The rezoning came into effect on November 27, 2024, and aims to deliver more well-located and affordable homes near transport, amenities, and jobs.

The TOD Accelerated Precincts program will play a significant role in boosting housing supply near major transport hubs while promoting walkable, vibrant areas.

The SEP study area boundary is based on the Hornsby Transport Orientated Development boundary and Hornsby Town Centre Masterplan boundary, comprising the land that will be developed in the future in line with the Masterplan and location of existing licensed venues and mixed-use or commercial land uses.

We are seeking feedback from our community as we explore this opportunity further and if the boundary should be changed to accommodate local needs.

We want to understand what areas might be most suitable to a SEP in the Hornsby Town Centre which will ultimately be identified in Council’s Local Environmental Plan.

The NSW Government’s Special Entertainment Precinct Kickstart Grant is a $1.94 million program to support councils across NSW to establish sustainable and successful permanent SEPs. It will support actions under the NSW 24-Hour Economy Strategy to foster collaboration and create vibrant, diverse and coordinated precincts.

On 7 APRIL 2025, Minister John Graham announced Hornsby Shire Council will be establishing its first Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP), with a $200,000 SEP Kickstart Grant from the NSW Government.

The precinct working group has been created by Hornsby Shire Council to support the establishment and ongoing operation and monitoring of the Hornsby Town Centre Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP).

It is a requirement under the Local Government Act 1993 for Councils to act in accordance with the NSW Special Entertainment Precinct Guidelines (the Guidelines) in the management of a SEP.

The NSW Special Entertainment Precinct Handbook recommends that a Precinct Working Group (PWG) of internal and external stakeholders is established to ensure a collaborative and consultative approach to the management of the SEP.

The responsibilities of the PWG include meeting regularly to contribute and assist in the coordination of the preparation and establishment, operation and monitoring of a 12–18-month SEP trial and, if relevant, contributing to the process of making a SEP permanent, or suspending and/or revoking it if thresholds specified in a precinct management plan are exceeded.

The precinct working group comprises representatives from council, venues and businesses, NSW Government and community.

If you are a business within the area selected to be a SEP, you will be able to follow the future precinct management plan for hours of operation and noise levels.

If you live in the area, you will have certainty about how businesses in the area will operate and the noise that they will emit.

Council will develop new maximum hours of operation with the aim to support and encourage a variety of businesses to trade at night. This does not mean that Hornsby Council will allow all businesses to trade 24 hours, 7 days a week.

New trading hours will be developed with local businesses, the community, and relevant government agencies and stakeholder groups (NSW Police, Liquor & Gaming NSW, Hornsby Liquor Accord) to balance the need for more vibrancy at night and residential amenity.

A Special Entertainment Precinct would create regulation around fixed decibel limits for amplified entertainment within the precinct at different times of the day. This early proposal does not mean that sound in the area will necessarily be increased.

Following this early consultation, Council will review feedback and if the proposal is supported, there will be further consultation as a part of a future planning proposal. This would include a draft Precinct Management Plan with proposed sound limits, as well as hours of operations and proposed days of the week.

Yes, NSW Liquor and Gaming regulate all entertainment related noise from licenced venues and ensure that they are complying with management plans. More information on how noise is regulated in a SEP is available from NSW Liquor and Gaming Home - Liquor & Gaming NSW

Council can investigate noise complaints about unlicensed venues, retail and commercial operations. Contact us at Hornsby Shire Public Hazards and Nuisances - Noise to make a report.

Early consultation is currently underway, and we are seeking feedback on a Special Entertainment Precinct in the Hornsby Town Centre. Following this consultation, we will review all the feedback and report back to the elected Council.

There’s lots of ways to get involved and provide feedback. You can complete the survey, write to us or visit one of our pop-up stalls.

A Planning Proposal is a formal request to amend the Hornsby Local Environmental Plan (LEP). It defines the legal boundaries and zoning rules for land use in the Hornsby Town Centre, including the Special Entertainment Precinct. This proposal outlines what types of development are permitted and sets the framework for future growth.

The Development Control Plan (DCP) provides detailed guidelines on how development should occur within those LEP boundaries. It covers aspects like building design, public spaces, sustainability, and how new developments integrate with the existing character of the area. The DCP ensures that new projects align with the community's vision and planning objectives.

In the context of the Special Entertainment Precinct, the LEP sets the area’s boundaries and permissible land uses, while the DCP outlines the specific design and operational standards for new developments, ensuring they support a vibrant and liveable town centre.

Burwood Council, Inner West Council and the Sutherland Shire Council are just some of the 18 councils who have so far passed resolutions to establish or investigate a SEP in their local areas.

Other councils across greater Sydney are currently investigating SEPs and are at different stages in the process.

The NSW Government Vibrancy Reforms have been established to boost nighttime economy, live music and dining across the State to bring vibrancy back into the economy and the community. More information can be found on the NSW Government website Vibrancy Reforms | NSW Government