Arts & Culture
27 July, 2026
SEP is music to council’s ears
Goulburn-Mulwaree Council has paved the way for more live entertainment and night-time activity in the city centre.
Goulburn-Mulwaree Council has paved the way for more live entertainment and night-time activity in the city centre.
The Goulburn-Mulwaree Local Environmental Plan 2009 will be amended to include a Special Entertainment Precinct, designed to help promote a 24H economy.
The precinct is generally bounded by Sloane Street, Bourke Street, Bradley Street and Clinton Street but also includes the Hume Conservatorium and Goulburn Railway Bowling Club.
The move follows extensive consultation and will see all trading hour restrictions from all premises within the precinct lifted, enabling them to choose their own trading hours.
It will now move into a 12-month trial phase.
Cr Jason Shepherd said most people would know that the city “goes to sleep at night”.
He said the Special Environmental Precinct would have a “big impact”.
Cr Daniel Strickland said he was looking forward to the data from the 12-month trial and hopes it will add to the city’s vibrancy.
Cr Christopher O’Mahony said Goulburn was unique in that it had a relatively small and enclosed CBD.
He said he “totally supported” the Special Entertainment Precinct and is also looking forward to the trial results.
Council endorsed the preparation of a Special Entertainment Precinct planning proposal at its February 2025 meeting.
Funding from the Office of the 24 Hour Economy enabled it to undertake sound testing in the precinct and to provide recommendations on sound controls and attenuation.
Decision-making along the way has been informed by a Goulburn CBD Special Entertainment Working Group made up of representatives from licensed premises as well as NSW Police and Business 2580 (formerly the Chamber of Commerce) and with input from Liquor and Gaming NSW and NSW Southern Health when needed.
According to staff, the Special Entertainment Precinct will also support council’s emerging Goulburn CBD and Surrounds Transformation Project which seeks, in part, to encourage greater residential density in and around the CBD.
“The SEP’s sound controls and attenuation requirements are intended to reduce future land use conflicts, including noise complaints, as CBD activity increases.
“These provisions give entertainment venues clear sound limits while ensuring new residential accommodation is appropriately attenuated for expected entertainment-related sound,” staff said.
Extended trading in the Special Entertainment Precinct will not extend to liquor trading hours.
Those businesses wanting to extend liquor licence trading hours will still need to apply to Liquor and Gaming NSW.
A further report will be prepared for council at the end of the 12-month trial including monitoring data, working group feedback and recommendations on whether the precinct should be made permanent, amended or otherwise discontinued.
The 12-month trial will commence once council has received notification from the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure that GMLEP 2009 has been updated.
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