NSW Budget: Voucher scheme to give $100 to every adult for food or entertainment

Every adult in NSW will be given $100 in vouchers to spend on entertainment or dining in a boost to small businesses hit hard by the virus.

Every adult in NSW will soon receive $100 in vouchers to spend in the struggling dining and entertainment sectors hit hard by COVID-19.

As part of the state’s 2020/21 budget set to be announced on Tuesday, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the $500 million scheme was designed to encourage people to shop and spend with small businesses and support local community during the post-Christmas lull.

The Out & About voucher scheme will mean every adult resident receives four $25 digital vouchers – two to be used for eating at restaurants, cafes, clubs and other food service venues, and two for entertainment activities such as cultural institutions, performing arts, cinemas and amusement parks.

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the vouchers will be split for use between dining and entertainment industries. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

“We want to encourage people to open up their wallets and contribute to the stimulus effect,” Mr Perrottet said.

“The dining and entertainment industries were among the hardest hit by the pandemic and I would encourage people to use this scheme once it is up and running and to make sure they spend a bit extra on the way through too.

“This is a budget about recovery and reform – to forge a brighter future for our people. Our plan for a prosperous, post-pandemic NSW.”

Businesses must register with Service NSW to use the voucher scheme, and need to be registered as COVID safe.

The NSW Government will run a trial of the program in Sydney CBD in December, before the full program is formally named and launched in early 2021.

Each voucher will only be able to be used once, and the vouchers are not able to be combined. The vouchers cannot be spent on alcohol, gambling, cigarettes, or retail products and could be restricted to weekday use.

The scheme will be trialled in the Sydney CBD during December before a statewide rollout early in 2021. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello said applying for a voucher would be simple and easy.

“It will be made available via the Service NSW app. We must be COVID smart as well as COVID safe and the success of this program will depend upon people continuing to follow the rules,” he said.

We want people to dine and discover our great state and we will run a pilot scheme to make sure we can iron out any issues before launching it across NSW in the new year.”