Darwin council voucher scheme’s $75K top-up all spent in just 60 hours

DARWIN Council’s first $75,000 top up of the MyDarwin voucher scheme lasted just 60 hours, with shoppers hungry to make the most of the vouchers.

Nguyet Vu, owner of Nail Lovers and several other businesses in Darwin, says the MyDarwin voucher initiative has helped her stores. Picture: Glenn Campbell

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DARWIN Council’s first $75,000 top up of the MyDarwin voucher scheme lasted just 60 hours, with shoppers hungry to make the most of the vouchers.

The spend has put $459,929 back into the economy, with customers splurging through the kitty before 12.30pm on Sunday after it launched on Thursday at midnight.

Darwin Bookshop manager Sean Guy said business was healthy over the weekend.

“We had quite a few vouchers used over the weekend,” he said.

“The Darwin City traders association did an event in the mall as well so there were people wondering around going into the local shops and people were getting out and enjoying the community while they can.”

Mr Guy said the vouchers had helped bring people through the door and he was looking forward to the next $75,000, which opens this ­Friday at 12am.

The Bookshop Darwin owner Sean Guy says MyDarwin vouchers have been helping to bring people through the door. Picture: Che Chorley

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“It’s been pretty helpful, it’s not making or breaking us but you’ll see people buy an extra book or two to get to the threshold so it’s nice to see an incentive for them to spend with the local shops,” he said.

“If people are just under the $80 or $40 mark, it’s worth their while spending a bit more to get the money off, half the time it’s like getting a free book.

“We hope people really come in and make the most of it next weekend and use it on things like books in case we do go into lockdown when the borders reopen.”

Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said it was great to see the money spent so quickly.

“That was the idea, that people spend it. The idea is not to keep the money, it’s to put it out there to flow so businesses can survive until the opening of the border,” he said.

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“The response was very good and something we are expecting. People are keen to go out and spend and they are keen to see the businesses survive and support the economy.”

The first $300,000 was spent within 15 days, an average spend of $20,000 a day.