Horsham Rural City Council is committed to ensuring everyone can access our city’s footpaths safely including people with vision impairments or mobility constraints.
HRCC is currently working with central activity district (CAD) business operators to assist them to understand and become compliant with the Footpath Trading Guidelines.
Director Communities and Place Kevin O’Brien said Council was keen to see outdoor dining continue to grow in Horsham.
“Council is supportive of outdoor dining. We know sole traders have done it tough during the pandemic and outdoor dining has been a valuable tool for them,” Mr O’Brien said.
“We will continue to work closely with business operators to ensure they are compliant with the rules,” he said.
Outdoor dining furniture and other objects such as signage must be set back a minimum of 1.8 metres from the shopfront to allow for unobstructed pedestrian movement.
Footpaths are public areas and the space immediately along the building line is important for the safe movement of people with vision impairments or mobility constraints.
“Accessibility is one of the four main themes of our Community Vision which was created by the community based on our aspirations and priorities for the next 20 years. It directly informs Council’s strategic documents including our Footpath Trading Guidelines,” Mr O’Brien said.
“It’s fair to say that accessibility is a fundamental criteria for all funding bodies including the state and federal governments.
“We look forward to working with our local businesses operators to achieve fair outcomes for all,” he said.
