Coronavirus: Help on its way for hard-hit small business in Eastwood
Hard-hit businesses in Eastwood will finally have some relief after Ryde Council endorsed a $500,000 small business hardship fund program.
Northern District Times
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Hard-hit businesses in Eastwood will finally have some relief with a $500,000 support package set to be rolled out very soon.
Ryde Council endorsed a $500,000 ‘Small Business Hardship Grant Program’ to support the Eastwood businesses financially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The fund was endorsed in Tuesday night’s council meeting after a 28-day exhibition period after the original motion was first passed on February 11 when the town centre was one of the first hit by fear of the Coronavirus.
There were 165 submission with most being in favour of the hardship fund.
Eastwood businesses with an annual turnover of less than $2 million will be able to apply for grants of up to $2,000 to provide financial support.
To be eligible for the grant businesses must be located within the dedicated area of Eastwood business precinct, generate less than $2 million revenue per annum, and have experienced financial hardship and a down turn in revenue during 1 January-29 February 2020.
$450,000 will be allocated towards the small business grants and $50,000 will be allocated towards a public relations campaign Love Eastwood after the pandemic when social distancing rules have been lifted.
Eastwood restaurant owner says ‘good start’
Restaurant co-owner Winnie Chan who has been working at BBQ One with her husband for five years said she welcomes the fund saying it was a “good start.”
“It’s a small amount but it’s a good start,” she told The Northern District Times.
“Rather than just Ryde Council, more government support is very important because it’s a global issue.”
Ms Chan said it’s been a “hard year” for her business with sales dropping about 60 per cent.
She said their Eastwood restaurant is now adapting to provide takeaway services with their own delivery services.
“We are trying to provide food delivery services by ourselves. The handling charges with Uber Eats is too high for our shop,” she said.
“We have to find a new way to make it work and let our staff keep their jobs. It’s hard they all have families,” she said.
Council debates expanding the grants to businesses outside Eastwood
In Tuesday’s meeting, some councillors including Cr Trenton Brown, Cr Roy Maggio and Cr Peter Kim requested to amend the motion so that businesses across the City of Ryde, not just Eastwood, would be able to apply.
“If we are offering small business funds it should be applicable to all small businesses across the city (City of Ryde),” Cr Brown said.
Yet Mayor Jerome Laxale said it was not lawful saying a motion that was in effect the same but with different wording could not be put forward until after three months from when it was first rescinded under section 17.7 of council’s Code of Meeting Practice.
In February, Cr Kim and Cr Maggio first made an amendment to the original motion to expand the area outside Eastwood but that followed a failed rescission motion.
On Tuesday, Cr Maggio said council would be “crucified” if they didn’t expand the grants to all businesses in Ryde.
He also requested to remove the $50,000 put towards the PR campaign and up the total allocated towards the funds to $1 million.
“I would like to urge everyone to remember we are not just the city of Eastwood, we are the City of Ryde,” Cr Maggio told council.
Cr Laxale said, “That can’t be done because of 17.7. It’s under three months. That motion has been passed and lost and the rescission was lodged and lost.”
Cr Edwina Clifton later said she acknowledged the whole situation has changed “dramatically” since when the first motion was put forward.
Yet she said this debate was already had and it was voted against. She called for someone to bring a fresh motion to cover Ryde in a later meeting and for this one to go through.
“Let’s put this one through. This one has already been through public exhibition,” she told council.
Cr Simon Zhou also amended the original motion asking for businesses who started after 1 January 2019 to be allowed to apply for the grant and that Glen Street in Eastwood be included in the Eastwood business precinct.
“In Eastwood there’s a lot of new small businesses and we shouldn’t ignore them,” Cr Zhou said.
Cr Laxale confirmed applications will open imminently.