New permanent outdoor dining infrastructure is on the way for Ballarat, but businesses who trialled new setups in the wake of the coronavirus are waiting to find out more information.
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The City of Ballarat jumped into action when restaurants, bars, and cafes were forced to restrict trading, and temporary solutions were enacted to help find more space for customers.
However, the temporary solutions were intended only to be temporary - while some businesses hoped they would have the opportunity to reapply for the expanded outdoor dining permits, this month they were told to remove their outdoor dining infrastructure.
READ MORE: Outdoor dining ideas for a summer recovery
While the permits were fast-tracked, council has maintained proper consultation and permits will be required, which will help balance the needs of non-hospitality businesses with their neighbours, many of which are still struggling to rebuild.
The Hydrant Food Hall, which had no outdoor seating options, quickly applied to close McKenzie Street after chatting with its neighbours, and built an all-weather platform to expand outside.
The setup was used in several media calls for the City of Ballarat, including the launch of their summer marketing campaign.
However, as with the glass dining boxes, the 15 minute car parks, and their neighbours' on-street dining setups, they had to remove everything before the end of the month.
Owners Elise and Sam Rowe said they were thankful to council for granting the permit, but hoped recently announced funding for more permanent infrastructure, and a rethink of outdoor dining more generally, could allow them to put their setup back.
"We could see the vision for what this could be moving forward," Ms Rowe said.
"It's been so successful for Ballarat - not just for us, it's been great for our recovery from last year, but we've had a higher percentage of tourists in each day than we've had locals, and that's a really promising sign.
"We now have to go through the process of applying for a permanent permit."
Mr Rowe said McKenzie Street had been a link between dining options on Doveton and Armstrong streets.
"We were going to invest a lot more money into this to make it winter-proof," he said.
"The future of this area is hospitality - it's giving the tourists something to do when they get here, and the (council's) Tourist Experience Plan is all about activating laneways and outdoor dining, this is exactly what it's talking about."
The Rowes added they hoped to "work together" with neighbouring businesses to find an optimal solution.
"It's about businesses working together to encourage activity, and people are attracted to people - if people are at a venue, then there must be something there to see and do, or eat," Ms Rowe said.
"We can see the future of that happening in this area, it'll be amazing."
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Council ran a survey asking for public submissions on outdoor dining - the results are expected to be released when councillors are briefed.
Successful applicants for permanent infrastructure will be announced "shortly", and is expected to be installed by early spring.
"Council rolled out an expressions of interest process late last year, where 71 businesses across Ballarat expressed their interest in receiving glass wind barriers and/or umbrella sockets. Given the cost of this infrastructure, there will be no more additional rounds of this EOI," a spokesperson said in a statement.
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