Australian and Victorian governments announce $367m funding for struggling businesses in Melbourne
One group of Melbourne business owners hardest hit by lockdown restrictions are being offered thousands of dollars.
New cash payments will be offered to pubs, gyms, tradies and other businesses devastated by the latest lockdown.
Victorian jobs minister Martin Pakula announced the money on Thursday.
Pubs with capacities of between 100 and 500 people will be offered $10,000 - double the previous support on offer.
Restrictions in the city will remain in place in metropolitan Melbourne until next Thursday, severely impacting the trade of businesses.
Grants from the $367 million joint Commonwealth-Victorian package announced today will flow to more than 100,000 businesses across Melbourne.
Melbournians on Wednesday had their initial seven-day lockdown extended a further seven days, as Covid infections remained in double digits and mystery cases persisted.
Under the new initiative, businesses including sole traders who have received or been approved for a Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two or Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two July Extension grant, or a Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund grant, will receive an automatic payment.
A significant boost to the new Small Business COVID Hardship Fund that opens today will take the one-off payments for eligible businesses that do not qualify for existing programs to $10,000.
Mr Pakula said the extended lockdown had been extra tough on businesses already struggling.
“We are talking about businesses that have been allowed to trade but which have been severely affected nevertheless, so for example, takeaway businesses that operate in closed sites like shopping centres, businesses that have been opened but their customers have been closed, for example wholesalers to cinemas, tradies who can demonstrate that their work is in indoor restricted settings, businesses that have been severely impacted by foot traffic like pharmacists in the CBD,” he said.
The Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said it had been a difficult time.
“Along with the state government we will continue to support Victorians through the crisis to ensure households and business can bounce back from this latest set of restrictions,” Mr Frydenburg said.
“Victorian businesses have shown remarkable resilience during the pandemic. We will continue to stand by them during this crisis with support they need to get through.”
The Victorian Government has provided more than $7 billion in direct economic support for businesses over the course of the pandemic, including $1.4 billion in cash grants paid to more than 97,000 businesses since the May/June restrictions period.
Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said that the Victorian Government will continue to directly support businesses affected by restrictions.
“As we continue to fight the Delta strain, we are not forgetting the toll that this has taken on our business community,” Mr Pallas said.
“We’ve backed businesses with direct, targeted and consistent support where it has been needed most and we’ll continue to do so.”
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