Scenic World's rides will remain open beyond 5pm - and in limited circumstances until as late as 10pm - for the first time in the iconic tourist attraction's 70-year history.
But while council gave the green light to the changes last week, some neighbouring residents claimed they will generate unacceptable noise levels.
With Clr Brendan Luchetti not present, councillors voted 10-1 on September 15 in favour of recommendations in a council report to allow Scenic World - subject to strict conditions - to operate the Scenic Railway, Skyway and Cableway from 9am to 9pm on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, school holidays and for a fortnight during the busy Chinese New Year period.
A maximum of 500 tickets per hour after 6pm would be allowed to be sold, last rides would be permitted until 8.30pm for general use, but guests attending one of up to 24 functions that Scenic World is permitted to host per year, would be able to use the rides until 10pm.
General opening hours would extend during these periods until 9pm (6pm on all other days) and doors will open an hour earlier (8am) daily.
The main restaurant will continue to be able to trade from 9am until 10pm on Sundays and until midnight on other days.
Although these permitted changes to opening hours are significant, they fall short of what Scenic World applied for - the ability to be open from 8am to 9pm every day of the year and to sell up to a maximum of 800 ride tickets per hour during late afternoons and evenings.
Scenic World's co-director Anthea Hammon told councillors the tourist attraction, which draws 850,000 visitors per year to Katoomba, needed to remain competitive with other attractions in and around Sydney and better cater to visitors' expectations of opening hours in the 21st century.
"This [application] is in direct response to shifting consumer demands," Ms Hammon said.
"And over the last six months we've worked closely with council to better address neighbours' concerns."
Blue Mountains Economic Enterprise CEO Jacqueline Brinkman said extended hours at Scenic World, combined with its new electronic ticketing system, would generate close to $4 million for the local economy.
"The Blue Mountains has traditionally struggled to meet market demands for visitor experience, so this will help," Ms Brinkman said.
Deputy mayor Chris Van der Kley was also vocal in support.
"The way the economy is going at the moment, we need to bring more tourists to the Mountains," Clr Van der Kley said.
"I understand the residents' concerns, but after reading the report I feel that the applicant has been working to address them."
But Ward 1 councillor Don McGregor said "this application won't increase the amenity on residents, so I think I'll oppose it".
"I acknowledge the contribution Scenic World has made to tourism in the Mountains, but with that comes impact on the amenity on the residents," he said.
Paul Wing, who lives within 300 metres of Scenic World, urged councillors not to support any extension of operation hours of Scenic World's rides.
"It's not okay to generate additional noise for 210 days per year," Mr Wing said.
"Once these things are operating they are very rarely wound back."
Cliff Drive resident John Cooper echoed those concerns, claiming "we already suffer higher levels of noise than are predicted".
"There are critical errors and omissions [in the application's noise assessment report]," he claimed, saying noise generated outside of operational periods, for activities such as testing and maintenance, had not been taken into account.
Tony Hinchen, a representative of the Church Missionary Society's (CMS) Katoomba conference centre, told councillors while his organisation is not opposed "in principle" to the application, it wanted council's "support to make the applicant pay for additional noise mitigation measures".
According to council's report, modelling indicates noise levels from potential extended trading hours were "on the cusp of non-compliance" in relation to two of the five nearest residential properties and the CMS site.
But additional noise mitigation measures included as conditions of consent - such as the applicant providing window glazing at these properties, conducting an annual impact review with council and revising onsite waste collection processes - would mean unreasonable levels of impact are "not expected".
Scenic World, in its application, said its rides will, for purposes other than functions, only operate during daylight hours, even during the extended trading periods.
