By Tyler Wright
An outdoor dining area is set to come to Upwey at the end of November, providing a space for community members to eat and drink and for adjacent businesses to utilise during their operating hours.
Yarra Ranges Council works will include additional footpath, curb and channel, drainage, tree planting and landscaping, integrated safety barriers and seating, supported by $275,000 from the Victorian Government’s Outdoor Activation Program.
Owner of restaurant Tin Pan Alley Foodsmiths Mark Filgate said he hopes the new precinct creates a “positive space, not just for the businesses but for the community itself” that will “encourage more and more people to utilise the facilities”.
“That will have knock on effects to our businesses as well because it gives us better exposure… when it’s a nice night, and everyone’s sitting out there, it really creates an atmosphere that people want to be involved in,” Mr Filgate said.
With a yearly fee and a Footpath Trading Permit, businesses adjacent to the dining precinct will be able to access its facilities during their operating hours, each requesting a certain number of seats, tables, barriers, heating and shade.
Outside of these designated hours, the area will be accessible to the general public.
According to Yarra Ranges Council’s Acting Director of Planning, Design and Development Damian Closs, the Upwey township was selected as the location for a permanent outdoor precinct after “highly successful community outcomes achieved in their outdoor spaces”.
“Council realised early that the restrictions placed on businesses during COVID required some innovation to help traders keep operating,” Mr Closs said.
“The Upwey township took a particular lead in Yarra Ranges, with traders quickly adapting their service model to take advantage of extra footpath space and occupying car spaces. Council have promoted this creative thinking in Upwey as great examples that demonstrate to other businesses in the municipality how they could similarly respond.”
“Our community have enthusiastically embraced these temporary installations and celebrated the atmosphere and life brought back into our centres. They have been great for enjoying food, catching up with friends and adding vitality to the township.”
Mr Closs said locations for the outdoor dining precincts are focus on areas that have flatter ground to maximise accessibility and align well with where outdoor dining has flourished.
“Council will soon commence community engagement in Upwey to explore broader opportunities throughout the centre to inform a masterplan design and identify future projects,” he said.
Works commenced on the precinct on 19 September and are expected to be completed in November, weather permitting.
