Darwin Council voucher stimulus could be topped up if deemed a success
DARWIN council’s $300,000 voucher scheme piggy bank could be topped up after its initial two-week splurge, if businesses and elected members deem it appropriate.
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DARWIN council’s $300,000 voucher scheme piggy bank could be topped up after its initial two-week splurge, if businesses and elected members deem it appropriate.
The first $300,000 will run until the end of the financial year but Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said he was unsure how quickly it would be spent.
“We put $300,000 as a reasonable fund and we can go back and review it,” he said.
But there was a possibility for the voucher pool to be topped up if the initiative was a success.
“The uptake will probably be big because people would like to get something but because of the way we structured it you only get (25 per cent) of what you spend so it’s going to last a while,” Mr Vatskalis said.
“Darwin city council is always open if it’s successful and helps businesses and if we get feedback from businesses and consumers that it’s really worth it, we’ll go back and have a look at it.”
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But Hospitality NT chief executive Alex Bruce said council’s cash splash was already a generous one.
“This isn’t about a free lunch and you have to spend some to get some. Council’s giving you a (25 per cent) discount and we think that’s generous,” he said.
“It’s easy for customers and businesses to track how much is left in the fund, so there is encouragement to get out and spend.”
Just Looking Boutique co-owner Colin Hesketh hoped the scheme would bring in more customers.
“What it gives to us as a business is that we’re not here by ourselves, the whole community’s helping which is great,” he said.
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So far 143 businesses have registered for the voucher scheme.
The $300,000 came from council’s parking revenue.
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