Open Streets Program 2025-28

Applicants must be a local council within NSW. Applicants can only submit one application (but may propose multiple events within the single application). 

Projects must:  

• Involve the temporary closure of a street or street/s to vehicles. The closed street/s must:  
  • Be in council or NSW Government ownership. 
  • Be primarily used for vehicles. 
  • Be either: 
    • Within 500m radius of a local centre, close to services and retail, and where available in the council area be close to public transport; or 
    • On a street with a public facility and/or social infrastructure, such as a school, library, sports centre or community centre, and where available in the council area be close to public transport. 
• Deliver street-based events across three years, at least once per year, on the selected closed street/s. 
• Include the preparation and implementation of Global Development Application/s and/or Global Traffic Management Plan/s, that includes the selected street/s from dot point one, during the three-year period or demonstrate there is one already in place for the selected street/s.  
• Encourage capacity building in the local business and creative industry to empower ongoing street activation and vibrancy.  
• Target a reduction in costs associated with street closures across the life of the project. 
• The events must: 
  • Maintain a consistent event brand/theme across the three years, with flexibility to evolve year-on-year in response to community feedback and learnings. 
  • Be free and inclusive, however, free ticketed events are acceptable for managing attendance.  
  • Include joint co-programming with one or more local arts organisations, e.g. a cultural institution, gallery, school, library, community group or similar. 
  • Include collaboration with local businesses or business associations, asset owners or major nearby employers to encourage participation. 
  • Host the majority of the event programming and activations on the temporarily closed street area. 
  • Reflect and contribute to the local character and identity of the place. 

Projects may:  

• Include multiple different series of events, however there must be one instance of each event series per year. Projects should also consider value for money.  
• Be held more than once per year, which is encouraged.  
• Contribute to broader placemaking objectives for the selected street/s, which is encouraged. 
• Include council and/or sponsor co-funding, which is encouraged. 
• Partially close a street to vehicles. Applicants must demonstrate how safety and amenity will be maintained. 

Funding may be used for: 

• Costs associated with street closures, including traffic control, signage, barriers or other infrastructure and cleaning;  
• Costs associated with the development and implementation of a Global Development Application/s and/or Global Traffic Management Plan/s; 
• Event infrastructure, including the leasing and purchase of event equipment such as chairs, trestle tables and marquees; 
• Event production, including operations, logistics and technology providers; 
• Engaging artists, performers, musicians, or other creative workers, including reasonable associated costs; 
• Engaging a local creative, arts or cultural institution for program development and delivery; 
• Microgrants (up to 10% of the total funding) to local businesses, community groups, schools or similar, to encourage organisations and businesses in the area to participate in programming, provided the grants are consistent with the program aims and objectives; 
• The installation of new public placemaking elements, art and/or street murals, where they can clearly be shown to support the event or activation; 
• Promotion and marketing of the event/s; 
• Any other service or resources (up to a reasonable proportion of the funding amount) provided they contribute to delivering the event or activation and are approved by Transport for NSW; 
• The expansion of an existing or planned event if the event scope or footprint is substantially increased; 
• Funding of council event personnel, staff positions or contractors may be considered for up to 10% of the total funding and subject to approval by Transport for NSW. Funding cannot be used for existing salaries or staff expenses, must be directly associated with delivery of the project, and must be requested and approved by Transport for NSW through a labour cost exemption as part of the application process. 

The following projects are ineligible for funding:  

• Events that include any type of participation fee.   
• Events that do not occur at least once per year.   
• Projects that are located on streets that are not primarily used by vehicles.  
• Existing or planned activations or events, except where the project substantially increases the event scope or footprint, for example, by closing and activating a street that was not previously planned for closure.