Shops, restaurants and other businesses across Sydney's CBD would be allowed to trade 24 hours a day under a radical proposal being put forward by the city's council.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore on Tuesday unveiled a draft plan to ease planning controls and jump-start Sydney's nightlife and economy nearly five years after the state government introduced strict lockout laws.
The changes include extending 24-hour trading across the city centre, allowing shops and businesses on high streets to trade until 2am, and new late-night zones in growing areas such as Barangaroo and Green Square.
Ms Moore said most people don't want a city that shuts down as soon as the sun sets.
"The changes we are proposing to our controls manage the balance between allowing well-managed venues to continue to trade, and any impacts on local neighbourhoods," she said in a statement.
"They respond to the very strong demand for a thriving, late-night city and set the foundations for a truly 24-hour Sydney into the future."
While the council will consider the proposals on November 19, any changes will still be subject to the NSW government's lockout laws.
The plans have the support of the Sydney Business Chamber, which says giving business the opportunity to choose the hours they operate "makes sense".
"In the long term it will absolutely play a part in invigorating the night-time economy, but it's not something that will just happen overnight," executive director Patricia Forsythe told Sydney's 2GB radio.
