Sydney revival ‘pitchfest’ raises a hotel staycation lottery plan

Having gone through months of lockdowns, Sydneysiders would be able to enter a lottery for free hotel accommodation under a bold proposal to reinvigorate the city.

Holiday-starved Sydneysiders could enter a “lottery” to win free hotel accommodation anywhere in the city.

It’s a bold proposal put to the state government at a meeting of business leaders and government ministers by Western Sydney Business Chamber director David Borger.

If the government agrees to fund it, this would not only give Sydneysiders a chance to explore other neighbourhoods over the summer holidays but also address the fact that ­accommodation in many ­regional areas is likely to be booked out.

The idea was also designed to wipe the banked-up leave many workers had accrued over almost two years of a pandemic – leaving companies with significant liabilities – while also wooing people back to hotels that had suffered an “image crisis” after some were used for the Covid quarantine system.

Western Sydney Business Chamber wants Sydney to explore their part of the world. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

The lottery was among a raft of ideas put to the meeting and is understood to have been positively received.

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet, one of a number of ministers at the meeting, said the government was “committed to reviewing them all … at this stage no decisions have been made”.

“We know people and businesses throughout the state have been doing it tough and we want to get as much of NSW up and running as safely and quickly as possible,” he said.

“The forum was focused on getting Western and South Western Sydney back in the game as soon as possible.

“These areas of Sydney are the economic engine room of NSW and having endured some of the harshest restrictions we need to get it firing again.

“The government is working on an economic recovery plan and the ideas put forward at the forum will help us bounce back from the pandemic as well get us match-fit for the future.”

Also at the meeting were NSW chief economist Stephen Walters, Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres, Small Business Minister Damien Tudehope, local chambers of commerce heads and the University of Western Sydney.

David Borger wants to get Sydney moving again. Picture: Matthew Vasilescu

Other ideas floated included a subsidised rental scheme to encourage “pop up” shops in areas where business had gone bust, leaving behind rows of vacant shopfronts.

The meeting also heard about ideas for a series of festivals and events in “dead zones” such as the Parramatta and Sydney CBDs to bring people back into abandoned parts of the city.

Not every problem had a solution, with attendees discussing the problem of the shift in the construction sector where apartment building had ground to a halt while home renovating was booming, with not all workers having the skills to transfer.

“We were basically trying to work out how to get Sydney moving again,” Mr Borger said.

“I think Sydneysiders have earned their next holiday after spending almost two years off and on in lockdown.

“This was basically an economic stimulus pitch-fest. We need to find ways for people to have the confidence to go out and enjoy life again.”

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Originally published as Sydney revival ‘pitchfest’ raises a hotel staycation lottery plan