Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Wood proposes food and drink vouchers to boost city small businesses
Hospitality venues in the CBD have been decimated by the coronavirus shutdowns, but Arron Wood has a plan to help food and drink traders get back into business.
Victoria
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Free vouchers to spend at food and drink venues would be given out to help inner city businesses hit by shutdowns.
Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Wood is proposing the idea as his flagship council election policy for small business recovery.
Mr Wood, who is challenging Lord Mayor Sally Capp for the top job, said a similar voucher system subsidised by authorities had worked well in Darwin and the UK.
“In three months, the Darwin City Council said the scheme resulted in every voucher dollar spent creating an additional $7 of cash spend from every transaction,” he said.
Under the scheme, people register to receive digital vouchers for varying amounts with each voucher having a minimum spend rule.
The City of Melbourne would pay for the initial program, with state government help sought for any expansion of the scheme.
Mr Wood said that if elected at the October 24 poll, he would provide another $20 million under a Small and Medium Enterprises Care Package, bringing the council’s total business support to $80 million.
“We should be pulling out all stops to help small businesses survive through the ramifications of this COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
“I’m not talking about six months down the track, I’m talking about what they need now, today.”
Mr Wood has revealed that his running mate as deputy lord mayor candidate is digital marketing entrepreneur Lisa Teh.
Ms Teh, 36, said that the concerns of small business owners like herself were not being addressed by the political leadership.
“A lot of people are hurting, but many leaders have never run a small business, they are removed from people’s day to day concerns,” she said.
Ms Teh said that as an Australian of Asian background, she was proud to belong to an election team diverse in ethnicity and experience.
Also on Team Wood is veteran Liberal Party member and former city councillor Peter Clarke, whose previous jobs include chairman of the former VicUrban.
Others on the ticket are sitting councillor Beverley Pinder, businessman Jason Chang, clinical researcher Abdirahman Ali and lawyer Beverley Honig.
The team’s policies also includes a rate freeze in 2021-22 and relief for street trading fees.
The business care package will include offering small businesses free advertising on a giant digital billboard and across the council’s social media platforms.
Mr Wood said his council would also hold regular forums with licensees, restaurant and venue operators to check on their needs, not just review liquor licensing issues.
He said that current councillors and management had been working for months on an COVID-19 Reactivation and Recovery Plan, which was released on Thursday.
“Critical to the success of the plan will be ensuring ratepayers, small businesses and our residents are involved,” he said.
“And the focus must be on delivery, not just words.”
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