Council’s MyDarwin voucher scheme extended by an extra $150,000 over two weeks

DARWIN council’s vou­ch­er scheme is set to continue until the Territory’s borders reopen, with $75,000 to be set aside each week for the next two weeks

Lord Mayor Kon Kon Vatskalis ... the Darwin council has added $150,000 to the MyDarwin voucher scheme. Picture: Keri Megelus

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DARWIN council’s vou­ch­er scheme is set to continue until the Territory’s borders reopen, with $75,000 to be set aside each week for the next two weeks.

Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said the program had been a huge success, with each dollar the council put into the economy matched with $6.50 from the community.

“Even though the federal and state governments have put in schemes to help businesses, it looks like the one we put out had the biggest effect because it helped small businesses, family businesses and local business,” Mr Vatskalis said.

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“The total spend was $1,856,000. Could you imagine a $1.8m spend when corona­virus first hit?”

Unlike the first run of the voucher scheme, the first $75,000 will have to be spent between Friday and July 9, and the second $75,000 from July 10-16, with the money to come from the council’s parking revenu­e reserves.

“If the funds finish before the end of the week, they have to wait for the week after,” the mayor said.

“(The $150,000) should be okay to carry ­business until the borders open.

“Hopefully Queens­land­ers will come to the NT when their borders open and South Aust­ralians will follow.

“Parking fees are starting again tomorrow … The MyDarwin vouchers will be coming from those parking reserves.’’

Mr Vatskalis said the prog­ram had been so successful that members of the Green Army had quit because their old jobs had become available again.

The Green Army, which was planned to have run only until June 30, will also be extende­d for two weeks.

“Some of the people who worked for the Green Army resigne­d so it worked really, really­ well for us,” Mr Vatskalis said.

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“Approximately 100 people are still working for the Green Army but I expect others will resign as things get better.”

The Green Army will be funded as part of the council’s reforesta­tion budget, with Trower Rd, Lee Point Rd and Ross Smith Ave next in line for a makeover.