VICTORIA\u2019S Opposition Leader Michael O\u2019Brien said the State Government needs to give more confidence to small businesses in Bendigo for the region to fully bounce back from COVID-19 lockdowns.<\/p>\n
Mr O\u2019Brien was at Rosalind Park last week and said February\u2019s snap lockdown caused a lot of small business owners to re-think their operation.<\/p>\n
\u201cBusinesses didn\u2019t understand why Bendigo was shut down for an issue that was limited to Melbourne,\u201d Mr O\u2019Brien said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lack of confidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lack of certainty and a lack of support from State Government is holding this region back from what it could be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr O\u2019Brien said that pubs, cafes and restaurants in Bendigo should have less restrictions on capacity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had 40 days of no community transmission, there is effectively no COVID in Victoria, so why are our pubs, and restaurants and cafes still operating at half pace?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to free them up. If you can have 75 per cent at the MCG why shouldn\u2019t your local pub or local caf\u00e9 be able to have at least 75 per cent if not go to 100 per cent too?\u201d<\/p>\n
The Liberal leader also said he would like to see the State Government\u2019s travel voucher scheme extend into off-peak periods.<\/p>\n
\u201cOffering people vouchers to come to places like Bendigo when the sun is shining is almost a bit of a waste,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the Government should be looking to extend the travel voucher scheme during the wintertime when it\u2019s not as popular to come here.\u201d<\/p>\n
A State Government spokesperson said a further round of travel vouchers will be made available soon, with those not claimed by successful recipients to be released to the general public again.<\/p>\n
\u201cVictorians have enthusiastically embraced the regional travel voucher scheme, with the more than 52,000 vouchers claimed in the first-round injecting $85 million into the visitor economy as it continues its recovery from the global pandemic,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
The spokesperson also encouraged businesses to access support for mental health and wellbeing, financial counselling, help to improve their online presence and one-on-one mentoring sessions through Business Victoria if needed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
VICTORIA\u2019S Opposition Leader Michael O\u2019Brien said the State Government needs to give more confidence to small businesses in Bendigo for the region to fully bounce back from COVID-19 lockdowns. Mr O\u2019Brien was at Rosalind Park last week and said February\u2019s snap lockdown caused a lot of small business owners to re-think their operation. \u201cBusinesses didn\u2019t […]<\/p>\n