Businesses concerned over Home Improvement Scheme deadlines
A SMALL business owner has shared his concerns over the Territory Government’s Home Improvement Scheme
Northern Territory
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LIKE most small business owners Andrew and Vicci Reid were over the moon when the NT government announced its latest Home Improvement Scheme initiative.
However, as time ticks away on the scheme’s shelf life they are calling for the three-month deadline for work to be completed to be extended.
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Mr Reid said he did 37 quotes for people wanting to use a voucher to get renovations done and as the November deadline for the end of the scheme looms the approvals have gone from a trickle to a flood.
“It may sound like a good position to be in, but it’s not … neither for us or the voucher customer,” Mr Reid said.
“The scheme has been staggered and we have quoted and been waiting on jobs within the scheme.
“The HIS has advised that November is the cut-off time for when vouchers will be approved. This gives us only three months to complete the work we quoted on during the week leading up to the deadline which was brought forward without notice.
“Last week I received the OK on three jobs and this week another four. It takes a minimum of three weeks for each job. Now that the approvals have increased the three-month deadline becomes impossible to meet.
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“If we have to knock back a voucher scheme job because of deadlines this impacts the person who applied for the Home Improvement Scheme voucher as well as our business. In the meantime we also face the risk of losing our regular customers because of the sudden rush of vouchers.”
Chief Minister Michael Gunner said if tradies had too much on, the homeowner could move their voucher to a later date so their preferred tradie can do the job.
“It’s got to be the homeowner that’s in charge – it’s their voucher and their choice,” he said.
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