Hornsby Shire Council is establishing a Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP) for Hornsby Town Centre, supported by a $200,000 SEP Kickstart Grant from the NSW Government’s Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner, with the Hornsby TOD the first Transport Oriented Development precinct in the state to receive this funding. JOC Consulting was commissioned to design and deliver early community engagement, helping Council understand community appetite for a SEP and shape the draft planning package now headed to Gateway exhibition. Council’s goal was a precinct that extends trading hours and sets clear, fixed sound limits to support a vibrant night-time economy, while balancing the amenity of nearby residents as the Town Centre grows under the Hornsby TOD.
SOLUTION
JOC Consulting designed and delivered the early community engagement program that has shaped the SEP’s draft planning documents, working alongside MTP Planning Consultants, who led the technical planning work, and Renzo Tonin & Associates, who prepared the acoustic report underpinning the precinct’s sound management framework. JOC’s engagement program included:
- A community survey and pop-up engagement sessions at Hornsby Mall, Organic Markets and Hornsby Library, reaching more than 345 community members;
- Preparation of the Early Community Engagement Outcomes Report, capturing community and stakeholder sentiment on the proposed SEP boundary, trading hours and outdoor dining;
- Input into the proposed Sound Category Areas and trading hour framework across the precinct’s main streets, Jersey Street, Peats Ferry Road and Hunter Street west;
- Support for Council’s Precinct Working Group, comprising representatives from Council, venues and businesses, NSW Government and community.
Findings showed strong community support, with 71% backing the proposed SEP boundary, 82% wanting longer trading hours and 80% wanting more opportunities for outdoor dining. This evidence base directly informed the draft Planning Proposal, Precinct Management Plan and Development Control Plan Amendments.
OUTCOME
The Planning Proposal was presented to the Hornsby Shire Local Planning Panel in April 2026 and received support to progress to Gateway Determination, with Council subsequently endorsing the proposal for submission to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. The project is now headed to Gateway public exhibition, expected later in 2026, when the community will be invited to make formal submissions on the draft Planning Proposal, Precinct Management Plan and DCP Amendments. Once finalised, the SEP will give Hornsby Town Centre extended trading hours, fixed entertainment sound limits, later outdoor dining and easier access to extended liquor licence hours for venues hosting live music, trialed over 12 months from late 2026, supporting Council’s long-term vision for an active, thriving and connected Town Centre.
Project page: https://yoursay.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/hornsby-town-centre-special-entertainment-precinct
Image credit: Hornsby Shire Council