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The iconic North Coast town of Byron Bay will become the first regional area to establish a trial Special Entertainment Precinct to promote and preserve its nightlife.

As part of the Minns Labor Government’s ongoing rebuild of the state’s night-time economy, Byron’s famous pubs, performance spaces and restaurants will be future-proofed as a nightlife precinct.

Special Entertainment Precincts (SEPs) allow councils to change trading hours and sound rules within a designated area to allow shops, businesses and local hospitality and entertainment operators to thrive and protect them against neighbour complaints.

The Byron Bay precinct – bounded by beachfront Bay Street, Jonson Street and the rail corridor, with Middleton and Browning Streets – will protect the famous vibrancy of the town centre as the area experiences cost and real estate pressures.

Within the precinct are time-honoured live music venues, the Backroom at the Great Northern Hotel, the Beach Hotel and The Rails.

The Backroom has hosted The White Stripes, PJ Harvey and Paul Kelly while Nirvana and Midnight Oil played the Beach Hotel in the past, while The Whitlams and The Cruel Sea have played at The Rails.

Byron Bay attracted 2 million visitors in the 12 months to September 2024.

Byron Shire Council is one of six regional councils in NSW that have put their hand up to explore establishing a SEP following the recent announcement that Burwood and Fairfield had been given the green light to establish their own precincts in Sydney’s west.

Enmore Road became the first permanent SEP in December 2023, boosting night-time foot traffic, visitation and business revenue. The area was soon after named on Timeout’s Top 20 coolest neighbourhoods in the world.

Byron Shire Council has received a Special Entertainment Precinct Kickstart Grant of $162,800 from the NSW Government which supports the local council to consult with operators and the community to determine new opening hours and sound rules.

The establishment of a SEP then precludes the need for local businesses within its boundaries to go through the expensive and time-consuming process of submitting new development applications to trade later.

Under the ‘eyes wide open’ provision of the vibrancy reforms, which will take effect later this year,  councils are also required to notify new property buyers, residents and businesses that they are make an informed decision to live in a vibrant precinct.

SEPs are being established alongside the Minns Labor Government’s vibrancy reforms which have:

• Permanently relaxed the rules for outdoor dining, allowing venues to make the most of their outdoor space on private land, including car parks and bowling greens.
• Increased incentives for live music and live performance, with two hours’ extended trading and an 80% reduction in liquor licence fees for licensed venues offering live music and performance.
• Ended single noise complaints shutting down pubs and other licensed venues through sound management reform which established a single noise regulator for licensed venues, raised the number of complainants needed to consider a formal complaint from 3 to 5, and introduced an order of occupancy consideration.
• Created easier pathways for extended trading hours for licensed venues during major events like the Olympics and World Cups.
• Amended the Major Events Act so it can be used to cut red tape and support recurring significant events like Vivid Sydney and Sydney Festival.
• Made it easier for more venue types, including restaurants and small bars, to trade during special events across Sydney and regional NSW through extended event trading.
• Removed the ‘5km Rule’ for NSW registered clubs by repealing the requirement to become a member of a club to visit if a local resident lives within 5 kilometres of the venue.
• Stopped placing the standard condition on licensed venues that patrons must be seated while drinking outdoors.
• Made it easier to activate streets for festivals and events via the Transport for NSW Open Streets program and provided more guidance about traffic and transport management for special events.

Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy John Graham said:

“A night out in Byron Bay has been a special part of the lives of so many people whether they are locals to the area or visitors getting a taste of North Coast NSW.

“Byron Shire is an iconic destination and the establishment of a trial Special Entertainment Precinct will ensure the classic days continue well into the night.

“Our commitment to rebuilding nightlife following the era of lockouts and useless red tape that strangled fun is by no means confined to Sydney, and Byron Bay will be one of a number of regional NSW centres to commit to their local nightlife with a Special Entertainment Precinct.

“I am delighted by the level of interest from councils across Sydney and NSW and in response, we have increased the funding pool to over $1.94 million, so more councils can establish SEPs in the coming months.” 

24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues said:

“The Byron Bay business chamber had been interested in the work of our Office for some time now and I am glad that there is a tangible project now on foot being led by the Council.

“The Special Entertainment Precinct model is not a one size fits all approach. It allows councils to work with businesses and local communities to put in place the right settings. I’m keen to see how this progresses. “

Byron Shire Council Mayor Sarah Ndiaye said:

“We’re so happy to receive this kickstart grant for a Special Entertainment Precinct in Byron Bay.

“This is a unique opportunity to collaborate with our community — our artists, venues, businesses and residents — to shape a night-time economy that’s vibrant, welcoming and truly reflective of Byron’s creative spirit and coastal lifestyle.

“With so much change over the past few years, this funding comes at the right time to support fresh ideas, local jobs and a safe, inclusive after-dark culture.

“We want to create a night-time experience that not only supports our local economy but also celebrates the essence of Byron — its people, its stories and its unmistakable energy.”

For more information, visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/business-and-economy/office-of-24-hour-economy-commissioner/vibrancy-reforms/seps

The NSW Government has stepped in to help five music festivals avoid the fate suffered by many others forced to fold since the pandemic.

The first round of the Contemporary Music Festival Viability Fund, established in September 2024, has allocated a combined $2.25 million of emergency funding to Bluesfest in

Byron Bay, Lost Paradise on the Central Coast, Your and Owls in Wollongong, Listen Out and Field Day in Sydney.

The fund is a response to the cancellation of festivals such as Splendour In The Grass, Falls Festival, Spilt Milk and Groovin’ the Moo – RIP. The fatal headwinds for music festivals are a result of changes in ticket buying behaviours, inflation, insurance, freight and currency exchange. The financial support of up to $500,000 per festival aims to alleviate these pressures.

The music festival circuit is a vital part of the NSW live music industry that employs 14,000 people, which means further damage to the sector would have a significant impact on jobs in the sector. Regional festivals also have a significant impact on local visitor economies, particularly in areas like the Northern Rivers which has lost two major festivals.

The funding package is working in combination with reforms to the Music Festivals Act, designed to reduce costs and prioritise health considerations in festival planning. These measures included removing the ‘subject’ festival designation from the Act, introducing the requirement for a Health and Medical Plan and creating mechanisms for festival organisers to seek an internal review of proposed government costs directly with the relevant agency or appeal those costs through the newly established Music Festivals Panel.

The fight to save music festivals is part of the NSW Government’s broader commitment to strengthening the state’s music industry and rebuilding vibrancy in the night-time economy. This includes:

• Offering extended trading hours and an 80% discount on licensing fees for venues that program live music.
• Fixing the noise complaints system so single serial noise complainants can no longer shut down existing venues.
• Cutting red tape that restricted venues and increased operating costs.
• Rolling out Special Entertainment Precincts that future proof entertainment districts.
• Venue Upgrade grants for operators to install sound proofing and get their venues gig ready.
• Recording, touring and promotion grants to help artists and bands find new audiences and build their careers.

As Bluesfest wraps up this weekend and looks forward to 2026, the Contemporary Music Viability Fund will open its second round ahead of the next summer festival season.

Applications open from May 1 for eligible festivals on an as-needs basis.

Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy John Graham said:

“The post covid era has been a financial nightmare for music festivals in NSW. The government needed to step in to save the furniture, and the feedback is that this fund has helped some of these festivals survive.

“From Bluesfest where I’ve been this weekend, through to Listen Out and Lost Paradise – people of all ages love the outdoor music festival experience and the artists they discover. We can’t afford to lose that cultural experience because the festivals can’t afford to pay their rising bills.

“The festival circuit a vital part of the live music industry which employs almost 15,000 people. It’s too important to lose, that’s why we’re backing festivals with emergency funding and reforms that bring down their costs.

“With the lockouts under the previous Liberal government, the pandemic and then the cost-of-living crisis it’s been a really tough time for the music industry. That’s why we’re backing it in any way we can.”

Head of Sound NSW Emily Collins said:

“Sound NSW is committed to supporting diverse and world class festivals that provide significant benefit to NSW. Festivals are crucial to a vibrant music ecosystem, not just as an important part of artist career development, but for the wider benefit to our community’s wellbeing, job creation, economic development and social cohesion.

“The funding is providing critical support to iconic festivals and helping ease the burden of a rapidly changing landscape and supporting businesses while they adapt.

“We’re proud to be supporting great festivals to continue delivering world-class music experiences for the people of NSW.”

Managing Director Fuzzy Operations, Adelle Robinson said:

“The funding we received for Listen Out and Field Day from Sound NSW were lifelines for our business.

“We were seriously considering not moving forward with Field Day as the market was so precarious at the end of last year.

“A reset with our programming and the Contemporary Music Festival Viability Fund were the two reasons the show went ahead.”

Managing Director Australian Festivals Association, Olly Arkins said:

“The Contemporary Music Festival Viability Fund saved some of NSW most iconic and most loved festivals. The support provided through Sound NSW has ensured that at a time when festivals were on the brink of collapse, the NSW Government stepped up and said ‘we’re with you and want to help you continue to thrive’.”

“Today’s announcement by Labor isn’t action, it’s delay disguised as progress. 

“It is now six months since the election, and all we have is an announcement that a tender will take place sometime in the future–we have no actual tender, no chair of the inquiry, and no detailed terms of reference.

“Labor has not announced anything new today.

“Given that at the end of last term, all parties agreed that a review was needed, and we are now six months along from the election, it begs the question of what the delay is?

“The fact is Labor’s approach slows poker machine reductions by a staggering 40% as compared to the pace achieved  by the Greens over the last seven years. 

“When the Greens were in the driving seat of gambling reform, machines were being pulled out faster — now, under Labor, progress is slowing dramatically.

NSW is further expanding and simplifying free access to the Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine to ensure residents living in higher risk regional areas are protected, as the mosquito season continues.

Five additional Local Government Areas (LGAs) are now eligible to provide free JE vaccine, including Uralla, Glen Innes Severn, Kyogle, Lismore, and Richmond Valley. The eligibility criteria for free access has also been simplified to make it easier for people to access the vaccine.

The full list of 60 eligible LGAs is available here: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/jev/Pages/vaccination.aspx

In NSW, the JE virus vaccine is available for free for people aged two months or older who live or work (including volunteer deployments) in any of the defined high-risk Local Government Areas and are at risk of mosquito bites.

In NSW this year, five people have acquired JE and, sadly, two of these people have died. JE virus is spread by mosquitoes and can infect animals and humans.

JE vaccine is available through local General Practitioners (GPs), Aboriginal health services and pharmacists. People should make an appointment and let the provider know it is for the JE vaccine, as they may require a few days’ notice to order the vaccine. Once vaccinated, protection can take up to two weeks to develop.

There is no specific treatment for JE. In some cases, JE can cause severe neurological illness with headache, convulsions, reduced consciousness and death.

As many people will enjoy the great outdoors this long weekend and school holiday period, it is important that people throughout the state protect themselves and their families from mosquitoes. Here are some simple actions you can take:

• Apply repellent to exposed skin. Use repellents that contain DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Check the label for reapplication times.
• Re-apply repellent regularly, particularly after swimming. Always apply SPF 50+ sunscreen first before applying repellent.
• Use repellents that are safe for children. Most skin repellents are safe for use on children aged three months and older. Always check the label for instructions.
• Wear light, loose-fitting long-sleeve shirts, long pants and covered footwear and socks.
• Avoid going outdoors during peak mosquito times, especially dawn and dusk.
• Use insecticide sprays, vapour dispensing units and mosquito coils to repel mosquitoes (mosquito coils should only be used outdoors in well-ventilated areas).
• Cover windows and doors with insect screens and checking there are no gaps.
• Remove items that may collect water such as old tyres and empty pots from around your home to reduce the places where mosquitoes can breed.
• Protect infants aged less than three months by using an infant carrier draped with mosquito netting, secured along the edges.
• While camping, use a tent that has fly screens to prevent mosquitoes entering or sleep under a mosquito net.

For further information and ways to protect yourself visit Mosquito borne diseases.

Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:

“People need to take mosquito borne infections seriously, especially as Japanese encephalitis is expected to continue circulating across the state.”

“Now is a great time to vaccinate, not just because the mosquito season continues in warmer areas of NSW, but because the eligibility criteria is now expanded to include more affected regional areas.”

Construction has now started on Australia’s first ever wildlife specialist teaching veterinary hospital, at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.

This $80 million state-of-the-art facility will replace the current hospital, which has played a critical role in wildlife care since the 1970’s.

The new Taronga Wildlife Hospital will expand the zoo’s critical rescue and rehabilitation work by delivering new surgical, rehabilitation and recovery facilities to cater for hundreds of animals per year.

As a dedicated specialist teaching hospital, it will also enable widespread training and upskilling of wildlife carers, students and veterinary practitioners – further protecting Australia’s unique biodiversity against ever increasing natural disasters.

The 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires affected billions of animals, including koalas, wallabies, platypus and critically endangered amphibians which Taronga’s hospital team was instrumental in treating. The devastation of these fires demonstrated a national need for a new, state-of-the-art wildlife hospital.

Taronga’s new multipurpose facility will feature:

• Modern surgical facilities and specialised rehabilitation and recovery spaces for species such as marine turtles, reptiles and amphibians before they return to the wild.
• Increased quarantine facilities for animals confiscated in illegal wildlife trade seizures and for those transferred from other zoos as part of global conservation breeding programs.
• Australia’s first Zoo Nutrition Centre dedicated to managing the diets of the zoo’s animals.
• A pathology lab for onsite analysis and testing.
• Public viewing galleries through which zoo guests can safely watch animal health checks and veterinary procedures.

The new Taronga Wildlife Hospital is funded by the NSW Government through an investment of $40.7 million. A further $40 million is being raised through philanthropic donations. 

This facility will support the important role of volunteer wildlife carers, by educating and sharing knowledge with volunteers. This will improve the state’s capacity to respond to wildlife crises through wildlife first aid. 

The NSW Government is undergoing state-wide consultation on the wildlife rehabilitation sector to gain a detailed understanding of how NSW can improve the way we care for our native animals. 

Premier Chris Minns:

“Taronga’s new wildlife hospital will be a truly unique facility as Australia’s first wildlife specialist teaching hospital.

“Once opened, this new hospital will allow specialist vets to deliver treatments, surgeries, and rehabilitation for our native species – and families will be able to come to watch them in action doing what they do best.

“Our country is fortunate to have so many unique species and this facility will enable us to protect even more of our Australian wildlife for generations to come.”

Minister for the Environment, Penny Sharpe:

“As natural disasters become more common, veterinarians and vet nurses are increasingly being called upon to rescue and rehabilitate severely impacted wildlife.

“This facility will not only give us the tools we need to rehabilitate our wildlife, it will also allow for us to share critical knowledge with wildlife carers all over the state.”

Taronga Conservation Society Australia Chief Executive, Cameron Kerr AO:  

“Taronga’s Wildlife Hospitals in Sydney and Dubbo treat approximately 1,500 sick, injured or orphaned native animals for treatment and rehabilitation a year, caring for a range of wildlife from marine turtles to echidnas, possums, sea birds, snakes and everything in between.

“Every year, we see first-hand the increasing need to treat and care for wildlife. At Taronga, we are driven by our purpose to secure a shared future for wildlife and people. We knew we had a duty to forge the next step. The new Taronga Wildlife Hospital will allow our expert veterinary team to care for and protect even more of our precious, native animals, and inspire future conservationists and veterinary practitioners to protect Australia’s unique species.”

The Minns Labor Government is continuing to invest in the future of young people, with an additional $735,000 in grants to fund youth-led projects as the state celebrates NSW Youth Week 2025 from 9-17 April.

Sixteen organisations will receive up to $50,000 each to design and deliver projects under the Youth Opportunities program.

This is on top of the $1.5 million already delivered to 35 organisations in the 2024/25 funding round, which has supported a range of activities including cultural connection programs, creative arts workshops, self-defence classes, leadership camps, sporting activities and community engagement projects.

The grassroots projects are aimed at empowering and engaging young people aged 12-24 in their local communities.

The latest projects funded under the grants span the state and include sport, health and wellbeing, nutrition, art, music, podcasting, video production, life skills, financial literacy, and job readiness.

Young people are closely involved in the projects every step of the way, from identifying what their peers need, to workshopping the proposals and delivering the projects.

This innovative approach drives young people’s connection to their communities and provides an opportunity to forge leadership, communication, and management skills, helping them achieve their full potential.

Since it was first launched in 2012, the Youth Opportunities program has provided $19.8 million in funding and delivered 434 youth empowering projects across NSW.

The projects announced today will commence this year.

A full list of new recipients can be found here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/youth-opportunities-program/previous-recipients/youth-opportunities-program-2024/25-round-13

Minister for Youth Rose Jackson said:

“The Youth Opportunities program delivers projects by young people for young people.

“I am thrilled to announce we’ve expanded this year’s program, with 16 additional grant recipients receiving grants to drive projects in their areas.

“From sport to mural making, these new projects will empower and engage young people, helping them connect with their communities and learn vital new skills to set them on a positive path for the future.”

Steve Hancox from Multicultural Communities Council Of Illawarra said:

“The Youth Opportunities funding enabled us to engage with young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds in our community.

“As a result of our project, more young people built strong community networks and developed essential skills to navigate life’s challenges.

“It was fantastic to see the participants in our project thrive with an increased sense of self-confidence and belonging.”

SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS:

Organisation	Project title	Primary location	Funding amount
Auburn Youth Centre	Sport, Wellbeing, Events and Teamwork Training (SWEATT)	Lidcombe	$47,294
Belong Blue Mountains	Pick ‘n Mix: Connecting and Choice for Marginalised Young People	Blue Mountains	$50,000
Big Fat Smile	Ready, Set, Cook!	Bellambi	$49,600
Central Coast Council	Urban Art Mural Program	Central Coast	$29,000
Challenge Community Services	Voices of Youth in care	Tamworth	$47,000
Stitches Collection	Stitching Stories from Western Sydney	Sydney	$45,000
Griffith City Council	EmpowerYOUth2680	Griffith	$46,900
Gymea Community Aid & Information Service	Uniting Generations	Gymea	$48,521
Illawarra Local Aboriginal Land Council	Illawarra Aboriginal Youth Leadership Development	Wollongong	$50,000
LeaderLife	LeaderLife with Life Skills	Dubbo	$50,000
PCYC Glebe-Leichhardt	Community Empowerment: Youth Peace and Sports Leadership	Forest Lodge	$50,000
Port Stephens Council	The Place Is Yours	Raymond Terrace	$50,000
SmartArts	Amplify	Kempsey	$39,500
Tamworth Regional Council	Youthie Grub Hub Training Opportunity Cafe	West Tamworth	$35,000
The Skill Engineer	Let’s Talk – Bean Bag Yarns	Colongra	$47,800
Youth Futures Network	LifeLaunch	Port Macquarie	$48,640