Hobart City Council to consider plan for economic support package for businesses suffering from border closures
A nine-point support package will be presented to the Hobart City Council as ongoing border closures continue to hurt the city’s business community.
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ONE-off grants and rent relief for struggling Hobart businesses, a potential overhaul of parking across the city and a possible weekend ferry service are the centrepieces of a proposed economic support package.
City of Hobart chief executive Kelly Grigsby has submitted an urgent report to be considered at Monday night’s council meeting, suggesting the council introduce a range of assistance measures to help ailing traders.
Ms Grigsby said ongoing border closures continued to hurt the business community, particularly in the accommodation and food services, creative industries, and arts and recreation sectors.
The newly appointed chief executive has proposed a nine-point support package that would include:
ONE-ON-ONE ADVICE through a new business concierge service.
RENT RELIEF in council-owned buildings.
REDUCING FEES for food and outdoor dining businesses.
PARTNERING with the state government for one-off grants to support small businesses.
REVIEWING PARKING arrangements to help businesses hurt by border restrictions.
EXPLORING the feasibility of a weekend ferry service from Bellerive to Hobart to support Salamanca Market.
A CAMPAIGN to get more workers to return to CBD offices and support city traders.
Ms Grigsby has also suggested the council approve an additional $100,000 in funding for grants to help businesses, on top of the $56,000 already allocated.
She said while the city had developed a suite of measures to support the community during the initial wave of Covid-19 last year, it was now clear more needed to be done.
“The city has a key role to help support affected local business as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic,’’ she wrote in the report to council.
“The range of measures recommended in this report gives the city the capacity to do this.”
Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said lockdowns in mainland states had reached a critical point in recent weeks, and the city had to act.
“Council has to act in a financially prudent manner for all ratepayers and the levers we can pull are limited, but we need to take action,’’ she said.
“The border closures are hurting businesses and we can’t predict how long it’s going to drag on for.
“I’m hopeful that council will tick off on this constructive plan.”
Ms Grigsby said her proposal followed meetings with an extensive range of stakeholders including representatives from the business community.
Originally published as Hobart City Council to consider plan for economic support package for businesses suffering from border closures
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