By Jonty Ralphsmith
State opposition leader Matthew Guy has outlined a $30 million local shopping strip recovery plan the Liberal and Nationals would introduce if elected.
The plan aims to deliver positive, practical support for businesses to recover and rebuild such as promising no more lockdowns, density limits or mask mandates.
Gembrook MP Brad Battin said the funding would deliver important results for the Berwick community.
“We all know we need a plan to recover and we need to start to rebuild what has been happening in our local communities and people need to start thinking local,” Mr Battin said.
“Small businesses here in Berwick also support our community groups, our sports clubs. So if you’re putting a dollar in, I guarantee you they’re investing some of that money back into the local community.
“It’s the lifeblood of our community so if we want to recover and rebuild Victoria, it starts with spending your $4 at a coffee shop locally rather than going into a bigger chain and all of a sudden you’ll see more employment, more money invested back in the community and everyone wins.”
Under the proposal, grants of up to $500,000 for small businesses to develop priorities would be available to help reinvigorate their local strips.
This would include support for local activation events such as street fairs, beatification and practical improvements such as outdoor dining statements, plantings, pocket parks, employing local mural artists and designers, lighting and footpath upgrades and encouraging pop-up shops to fill empty spaces.
A special fund of up to $20,000 will be made for strip marketing and promotional campaigns.
The program focuses on bringing together groups of small businesses and harnessing their local expertise to provide them with real outcomes.
Shadow Minister for Business Recovery David Southwick said the plan would allow businesses to recover post-lockdowns.
“Our Shopping Strip Revitalisation Program will be a big boost to local jobs and employment to all of Victoria, not just businesses in metropolitan Melbourne,” Mr Southwick said.
“During lockdown, local shopping strips were often the only places where we could feel like a community. Our plan sets them up for a better, brighter future.”
Mr Battin further explained the long-term benefits the plan would deliver.
“If you spend $100 at a local shop, you’ll employ someone, if you spend $100 at some of those bigger stores, you put it in a chief executive’s pay packet,” Mr Battin said.
“We’re saying get out to these small stores, come and support our local businesses and we’ll proudly put in $30 million across the state to recover these areas and rebuild these areas to ensure the future because strip shops and small shopping centres are the future for us to ensure we can build our communities.”
