Dining deck feedback sought

Published on 14 February 2025

The City of Launceston is encouraging residents and business owners to have their say in the final months of consultation over the Council's George St dining deck trial.

Dining decks, also known as parklets, temporarily repurpose part of the road corridor, providing an outdoor dining space for hospitality businesses. There are nine parklets in the trial, which started in December and will continue throughout the first quarter of 2025, and six existing parking spaces have been temporarily reconfigured to house them.

Mayor Matthew Garwood said the trial was about doing something different to make our city's streetscape even better with the Council moving and adapting the parklets in line with input from the community and business owners.

"Parklets can bring vibrancy and foot traffic to an area, which often benefits nearby businesses," Mayor Garwood said.

"Studies from cities that have trialled parklets show that when thoughtfully implemented, they boost local commerce by creating more inviting spaces for people to gather, explore, and stay longer.

"They help create a more vibrant public space and encourage slower traffic - two examples of this can be seen in the parklet currently outside Tinka on St John St and Inside Cafe on Paterson St."

Mayor Garwood said for these reasons parklets were of great value not just to hospitality businesses but all businesses in the area. By making streets more engaging and pedestrian-friendly, parklets can increase overall activity in an area, which benefits all businesses, not just hospitality.

However, for businesses that rely on appointments, like salons, healthcare providers, or consultancies, the Council is sensitive to the need for accessible parking. One of the reasons that George St has been selected for the trial is its proximity to off-street car parks, such as Paterson West, which has 209 spaces (including 11 accessible spaces) and Yorktown Square, which has 33 spaces.

A total of 377 parking spaces (including 14 accessible spaces) are located within a 125m radius of the trial area. "We’re also gathering data throughout the trial to assess its impact," Mayor Garwood said.

"Your feedback will be critical in deciding the long-term approach - in the meantime, think of parklets as an opportunity to attract new customers and encourage existing ones to return, which could bring in more business overall."

Community members can provide feedback on the trial via the Council's online engagement platform Tomorrow Together until the end of March.