Sydney council cracks down on foreign words on shopfront signs

Strathfield Council is eyeing a plan to reduce foreign languages on business signs.

A council in Sydney's inner west is considering a plan to reduce foreign languages on business signs.

Strathfield Council is drafting a measure which would make sure foreign text is no bigger than 30 per cent of its English equivalent.

Independent Councillor Matthew Blackmore, who moved the proposal at the last council meeting said "the change to the policy is designed to set a standard in the presentation of signs in shops".
But Nikki Chen - who has worked at her brother's grocery store in Strathfield for more than four years - said she had never received a complaint about its signage.

"We have Chinese and English, both on the sign ... So I don't need we need to change it," she told SBS News.

In the last census, more than two in three people living in the Strathfield area said they speak a language other than English at home. The most common languages were Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese.

The NSW Business Chamber said there's merit to Strathfield Council's proposal, but was wary of added red-tape.

"There may be some potential customers who may feel they're unwelcome in that particular shop, restaurant, cafe, whatever business it is. If this particular motion gets through we'd like to see council working with businesses," Chamber spokesperson Damian Kelly told SBS News.

Community feedback on the measure is still being received.


Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

By Laurie Lawira


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world