Outdoor dining

Restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, small bars, breweries, and other food and drink businesses can apply to Council for the use of footpaths, and in some cases, kerbside parking spaces for outdoor dining purposes.

Need assistance

Contact the Building Certification team

By email: building@innerwest.nsw.gov.au

By phone: 02 9392 5000 Monday to Friday 9.00am-4.30pm and ask to be transferred to the Building Certification Team.

In person: For a face-to-face chat with a member of our team, please request a meeting at our Leichhardt Service Centre at 7-15 Wetherill Street, Leichhardt.

How to lodge a footpath approval application

1

Step 1: Register or Log In

2

Step 2: Start Your Application

  • Select “Other Applications”
    (Found under Apply for… at the bottom right of the page.)
  • Select “Public Approvals”
  • From Type of Approval, choose Footpath Approval.
  • Select Footpaths – Outdoor Dining.
  • Enter the property address in the search bar and select from the drop-down list.
3

Step 3: Provide Details

  • Click Next (bottom left or top right) to proceed.
  • Add a description of your proposal.
  • Click Next again to view the pre-lodgement summary.
4

Step 4: Lodge Your Application

  • Click Lodge (top right corner).

    Please note, you must finish Step 6: Finalise and Lodge before your application is complete.

5

Step 5: Upload Attachments

  • Go to the Attachments section (left-hand side).
  • Upload required documents by:
    • Dragging files, or
    • Clicking + Add (top of the page).

Required documents:

6

Step 6: Finalise

  • Click Finalise and Lodge (top left corner).

Liquor licence boundary changes associated with outdoor dining

If your premises has a liquor licence, you will need to temporarily change the boundaries on your licence in order to serve alcohol in an outdoor dining area.

Please submit the Liquor Licence application: temporary change of boundaries directly to Liquor & Gaming NSW

This form should be submitted separately from your Outdoor Dining application to Council. 

Page last updated: 23 Mar 2026