Small businesses issue plea to Daniel Andrews as returns from fall

Furious small businesses say upon his return as Premier, Dan Andrews must focus on restoring Victoria and outline an end to lockdowns.

As Daniel Andrews comes off the casualty list to return to work, Victoria’s small businesses say they are still sick.

Industry leaders and “furious” small businesses have issued strong demands to the state government, saying they need an end to lockdowns and meaningful support to recover from a disastrous 18 months.

Small Business Australia executive director Bill Lang said the Premier must focus on restoring Victoria as the state to do business, rather than the state to flee.

“We have been inundated with complaints from small business owners, furious our state politicians will receive more money in a pay rise than they have been offered in compensation for being forced closed during lockdown 4.0,” he said.

Mr Lang said he hoped Mr Andrews had time to think about all of the small business owners who have been “crippled financially and emotionally” during his time off.

“We would like to see the Premier focused on direct and fairer policies that help keep these family-owned businesses open and Victorians in work,” he said.

Small Business owner Renee Patsiaouras owns Olive and Thyme Catering in Clayton South and is struggling during the pandemic. Picture : Nicki Connolly

Research from market research organisation ACA showed nearly 60 per cent of Victorian businesses were earning less revenue, with one in five extremely concerned about their survival.

It comes after polling from bipartisan research firm RedBridge, commissioned by the Herald Sun, showed voters in Melbourne’s west, Labor’s traditional heartland, were turning on the government amid growing angst over the effect of the pandemic.

Small business owner Renee Patsiaouras said she would “beg for no more lockdowns” if she was able to speak to the Premier. Ms Patsiaouras, owner of Olive and Thyme Catering, said her business was currently running at an 80-90 per cent loss.

“Last year we lost up to $600,000 in revenue,” she said. “We had to start tapping into our savings.”

Ms Patsiaouras said the last seven-day circuit-breaker lockdown “was a lie”.

“We are now in week five of what should have been seven days of restrictions,” Ms Patsiaouras said.

“We’re forced not to work but not compensated enough – we cannot survive another lockdown.”

Ms Patsiaouras said the catering industry had specifically been affected as revenue came from big events where people were allowed to gather. Home gatherings were still capped at 15 people.

Andrews is set to be grilled on issues including his plans for Victoria’s recovery Picture : NCA NewsWire / Penny Stephens

Restaurant and Catering boss Wes Lambert echoed Ms Patsiaouras’s concerns and said the catering industry had been “one of the hardest hit during the pandemic”.

Mr Lambert said he already knew a lot of catering businesses that had gone under and was “expecting a lot more to follow”.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said the state needed a “strong plan to recover the CBD” instead of “all these sugar hits”.

“We need no more lockdowns, a faster vaccine rollout and to rebuild Victoria’s reputation,” he said.

“We hope the Premier has recovered. We’re going to need him back at his best.”

Australian Industry Group Victoria head Tim Piper said any future lockdowns should be “proportionate and targeted”.

“There’s no need to lockdown an entire city to stop an outbreak,” he said.

Asked about Victoria’s struggling businesses, the Premier told the Herald Sun the government would “pedal fast to make sure the huge jobs growth we’ve seen continues and businesses are supported to bounce back”.

The Premier is expected to hold a press conference late on Monday morning, where he will be grilled on issues including his plans for Victoria’s recovery and the 2.5 per cent pay rise handed to politicians despite ongoing business turmoil.