3 June 2010

How would you like your latte?

| johnboy
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[First filed: Jun 2, 2010 @ 10:15]

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Simon Corbell is calling for comments on a draft Outdoor Café Policy.

“The principles in the policy maintain that outdoor cafes should be integrated with existing adequate clearances and allow convenient access for all,” Mr Corbell said.

“The Government does, however, acknowledge the importance of using public spaces for café and restaurant owners and this will be a major point of consideration during the consultation process.

So how do you feel about the alienation of the commons if it means you can get a big breakfast and a mediocre coffee?

The consultation ends on 25 June you can send submissions to:

Post:
Policy and Community Relations
GPO Box 158
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Email:
ors@act.gov.au

Phone:
02 6207 7889

UPDATE: The Liberals’ Vicki Dunne is not a fan of the draft:

After fighting for years for al fresco café dining in Canberra, Gus Petersilka would be turning in his grave over Simon Corbell’s draft policy for outdoor cafés, according to Shadow Attorney-General, Vicki Dunne.

“Far from celebrating the activity of outdoor eating, a proposed requirement for outdoor furniture design, the draft policy does little more than plunge café owners into an abyss of bureaucratic bunkum,” Mrs Dunne said.

“This draft policy potentially has the ability to stifle any chance of a cosmopolitan atmosphere for Canberra’s dining options and social life because compliance with the myriad new rules will be just too hard for small businesses.

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WonderfulWorld11:11 pm 03 Jun 10

I think the ACT needs a policy for outdoor seating, how many times have you nearly tripped over seating sprayed all across the sidewalk and people going “oh god” when you walk in a place that is not “marked” as a cafe space. Also, as a recent non smoker, well think the outdoors at this stage should still be given the right to smoke, until it is illegal (as if), smokers have the right to eat. Also if you don’t your just going to get a pile of butts around the corner in places that the shop/cafe etc doesnt have to clean up according to the rules.

DarkLadyWolfMother11:09 am 03 Jun 10

cegee said :

i think cafes and bars should be allowed to buy tobacco licences like they buy liquor licences. dont like smoking? go to a cafe/bar that doesn’t have a tobacco licence!

but this will never happen. sadly.

Something I’ve always thought was a good idea. I’m sure the ‘market’ would eventually settle things down to places where smokers generally go, and places where non-smokers generally go.
Of course, due to insurance needs and the like, it’s probably a pipe dream.

@ Gibbo – so, you’re suggesting that venues without outdoor dining, should allow smoking inside again, as long as they have the necessary license? Fantastic idea, thanks!

2. Spot checks of coffee quality… no sense in taking up space for bad coffee

sounds like a great job! pick me… 😉

cegee said :

i think cafes and bars should be allowed to buy tobacco licences like they buy liquor licences. dont like smoking? go to a cafe/bar that doesn’t have a tobacco licence!

but this will never happen. sadly.

Excellent idea.
Tobacco licence only issued if a venue doesn’t have outdoor seating and dining

Jenny Grogan9:19 pm 02 Jun 10

“Petersilka gets trotted out again.

Some of us have somewhat different memories of that………..man”

I totally agree, VG, and I’m sure many Canberrans would… One of my favourite memories of working for him was opening up Cafe Augustine one Sunday morning to find someone had scrawled something very derogatory about him in bright red lipstick across the plate glass window. As we staff were somewhat in agreement with the sentiment we left it up there until he sauntered in mid-morning when he was actually misogynist enough to believe that it hadn’t occured to us to wash it off… Below award rate pay, threatening staff with the sack if they wouldn’t work long weekends for that same rate of pay, not to mention the continuous groping and sexual harrassment… But hey, he brought sidewalk-dafe culture to Canberra and, God knows, nobody else ever would have!!!

i think cafes and bars should be allowed to buy tobacco licences like they buy liquor licences. dont like smoking? go to a cafe/bar that doesn’t have a tobacco licence!

but this will never happen. sadly.

I don’t care what they do so long as the list of rules and regulations is at least 38 pages long single spaced, 10 point times font. That way we can piss away more money by paying bureaucrats to go around and pester small businesses making sure that they obey to every single one of the anal retentive rules.

either that or we fire the person who came up with this idea and spend the money saved on a coffee stimulus package for all ACT residents.

Deadmandrinking said :

Gibbo said :

Deadmandrinking said :

Gibbo said :

No smoking allowed

No.

Have clearly marked smoking and non-smoking sections.

As long as there is a fan blowing the smoke back towards the smokers regardless of the air temperature.

How about you clean-air freaks get yourself a bubble?

Feel free to blow smoke in my face next time you’re in an outdoor eating/drinking environment.

That being said, the inevitable consequence of you extracting your teeth from your bumhole for the next month may offend

CanberraCreative6:36 pm 02 Jun 10

The policy even aims to control the style of outdoor furniture so that it promotes “a celebration of outdoor dining”. Oh brother, can we get a little focused on the important things Stanhope!

In any case, if they want to press on with this policy, I want to see:
1. No smoking
2. Spot checks of coffee quality… no sense in taking up space for bad coffee
3. Levy that goes into upkeep of public areas

I’m not entirely sure why this is needed (most cafe owners have the sense to not push their luck in blocking off walkways, etc), but I don’t think it significantly changes the status quo.

The smokers bit just says that they have to abide by the existing laws. Bad luck for all you punters who’d like to see smokers pilloried for their peccidilloes.

Hells_Bells745:55 pm 02 Jun 10

Chai latte please. A little hotter than usual and hold the sugar. Dogs, kids, smokers, drinkers and burka wearers welcome too!

Petersilka gets trotted out again.

Some of us have somewhat different memories of that………..man

So much hate! Can’t we all just get along?

Thankfully I’m just a smoker and drinker and not a cyclist.

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

How about you smokers get a colony like the rest of the lepers?

+1!

Woody Mann-Caruso3:17 pm 02 Jun 10

How about you clean-air freaks get yourself a bubble?

How about you smokers get a colony like the rest of the lepers?

indigoid said :

I wouldn’t like a latte at all. What kind of gel-encrusted, Ed Hardy-wearing poofter (NOT faggot, per recent discussion at another RA posting) would molest a perfectly good espresso by adding milk (or sugar, for that matter) to it?

+1! ; )

Deadmandrinking said :

Gibbo said :

No smoking allowed

No.

Have clearly marked smoking and non-smoking sections.

Just don’t even have a smoking section, you want to smoke and look cool go stand in the in the gutter.

and a large flat white thanks no sugar.

georgesgenitals2:17 pm 02 Jun 10

Deadmandrinking said :

Gibbo said :

No smoking allowed

No.

Have clearly marked smoking and non-smoking sections.

No.

No smoking allowed.

Deadmandrinking2:14 pm 02 Jun 10

Gibbo said :

Deadmandrinking said :

Gibbo said :

No smoking allowed

No.

Have clearly marked smoking and non-smoking sections.

As long as there is a fan blowing the smoke back towards the smokers regardless of the air temperature.

How about you clean-air freaks get yourself a bubble?

Deadmandrinking said :

Gibbo said :

No smoking allowed

No.

Have clearly marked smoking and non-smoking sections.

As long as there is a fan blowing the smoke back towards the smokers regardless of the air temperature.

I wouldn’t like a latte at all. What kind of gel-encrusted, Ed Hardy-wearing poofter (NOT faggot, per recent discussion at another RA posting) would molest a perfectly good espresso by adding milk (or sugar, for that matter) to it?

Deadmandrinking1:32 pm 02 Jun 10

Gibbo said :

No smoking allowed

No.

Have clearly marked smoking and non-smoking sections.

No sweaty Lycra allowed. Cyclist stink.

Clown Killer12:13 pm 02 Jun 10

As long as the rent is set at a suitabel level that returns sufficient divident to the community then by all means, let cafe owners set ip tables on the footpath.

No smoking allowed

Pommy bastard11:27 am 02 Jun 10

I think they should allow dogs in them 🙂

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