Golden Plains Shire’s suite of measures for business support

A DIVERSE range of interventions and supports have been announced by Golden Plains Shire aimed at helping local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With about 1900 businesses registered in the Shire the measures fall into three main categories and include direct support by the municipality, reduced red tape and publicity of area enterprises.

At the same time mayor Cr Owen Sharkey said council had combined with other local government areas in lobbying for “rate relief” and other ways to reduce costs on the Shire and ratepayers.

“Golden Plains Shire is joining municipalities across Victoria to lobby for State government support to deliver rate relief that can be passed on to residents, as the ACT has done, as well as seeking a deferment of the significant increase in the waste levy charged by the Victorian Government,” he said.

“Our Council is also working to finalise a tight and responsible draft 2020/2021 budget that meets the current economic landscape while fulfilling council’s service commitments.”

Included direct action interventions and measures are things like the introduction of a COVID-19 financial hardship policy for local businesses, payment of invoices by the Shire in 14 days and not the standard 30, refunding all permits for events and activities that have been shut down due to the pandemic, a new process for business waste collection if needed, and free business mentoring for small enterprises impacted by shutdowns and preventative isolation.

Budgeted capital works across the Shire will also go on as scheduled in attempt to keep workers employed.

Regarding red tape, all septic, building and planning permits that are set to expire before to 30 September will be extended for 12 months for free.

“Council has put in place a new program of support for local businesses including refunding permit fees for cancelled events, paying invoices to local businesses as a priority to help them keep money coming in the door and extension of permits and reductions in fees to keep business costs down,” Cr Sharkey said.

The municipality is also putting in place a range of activities to communicate with and for local businesses.

They include free promotion on the Shire’s website and social media channels ­– linked to the Be Kind to Business campaign. There’s also a dedicated COVID-19 business support webpage that brings together all the available local, state and federal resources and announcements.

Municipal business support officers will also be available to provide individual assistance to business owners, and the officers have been calling around to check in on area operations.

A spokesperson for council said staff are working to implement the financial relief options as soon as possible while the dedicated COVID-19 business team went live last week, and the financial hardship policies were finalised this week.

For more information call the Shire’s customer service centre on 5220 7111 or visit the website to access the full range of resources at goldenplains.vic.gov.au.