At the 22 October 2024 ordinary meeting, Council endorsed the following four changes to the event. These changes are an effort to help reduce the event’s negative impacts:

Change 1: A reduction in the number of days of the week the event runs, from seven (7) days to four (4) days. The new event days would be Thursday-Sunday, and stalls will trade from 6pm to 2am on those days.
Change 2: The renaming and rebranding of the event to ‘Lakemba Nights’.
Change 3: A revised stallholder layout with stalls to be relocated from the footpaths onto the roads.
Change 4: An adjustment to stallholder fees to $600 per night in 2025 to be paid directly to Council

A reduction in the number of days of the week the event runs, from seven (7) days to four (4) days. The new event days would be Thursday-Sunday, and stalls will trade from 6pm to 2am on those days.

Previously the event ran for seven (7) days a week. Benefits from this change to four (4) days a week include:

• Less negative impact (e.g. noise, sleep disturbances) on local residents.
• Reduced cost to Council of operating the event.

The renaming and rebranding of the event to ‘Lakemba Nights’

This name change from ‘Ramadan Nights Lakemba’ to ‘Lakemba Nights’ may help to separate the ‘commercial’ nature of the event from Ramadan’s religious significance. This has been a concern raised by some in the local Muslim community during previous community engagement.

A revised stallholder layout with stalls to be relocated from the footpaths onto the roads

A change from stalls being located on the footpaths to onto the roads supports overall event safety and risk management, as well as having other positive impacts. Specific benefits include:

• Keeping footpaths clear for event attendees to access all shops and services.
• Enabling better regulation and management of stalls, including food safety.
• Supporting a level playing field for businesses and vendors who wish to be stallholders. Previously some vendors have paid fees to Council and also engaged in bidding wars with some businesses, disadvantaging some vendors wishing to be stallholders .
• Supporting equal access to all hospitality business owners, in and around Haldon Street, to provide a stall. Previously, some businesses have not been able to operate a stall outside of their business due to public assets on the street (e.g. bus stops, seating, bins). This prevented some stalls being approved to operate.
• Enhancing regulatory control (e.g. food quality, power usage) and stall consistency (e.g. all stalls using a 3x3 metre marquee).
• Addressing cooking smell concerns from non-food businesses (e.g. chemists, doctors, banks) and organisations (e.g. mosques) by moving cooking operations away from the awnings above the footpath.
• Enhancing the safety and cleanliness of the footpaths which in past events have been dirtied by cooking oil and other materials.
• Helping address some resident concerns by clearly defining an event precinct as far away as possible from high density residential buildings .
• Potentially improving sales for all businesses in the area by increasing footfall directly outside of their premises. Previously, businesses may have been disadvantaged by crowds blocking their entry.

An adjustment to stallholder fees to $600 per night in 2025 to be paid directly to Council

Previously the stallholder fees have been $6,000 for the whole, month-long event. The proposed change is $600 per night in 2025. This fee would be up to$10,800 (i.e. $600 x 18 nights). Benefits include:

• Increased income to Council to help offset the escalating event costs.
• For stallholders, an all-inclusive fee covering hire of the stall space, power, waste management, a ‘stall kit’ containing essential items such as a pop-up marquee and also food safety briefings and information.

In addition to the four changes, Council also endorsed an investigation into a possible extension of the event site to incorporate businesses from 154-176 Haldon Street. Please refer to the current Lakemba Nights Event Site Plan in the document library below.

For more detailed information on the event, including the changes endorsed by Council at the 22 October 2024 meeting, please refer below to the Council meeting agenda and minutes, section 8.2.