Council helps hospitality businesses re-open

Published on 18 September 2020

West Wimmera Shire Council is helping hospitality businesses get back on their feet and re-open their doors.

Under new COVID-19 restrictions from the state government, hospitality businesses in regional Victoria were allowed to re-open with patron limits from Thursday.

The restrictions allow for restaurants and cafes to have up to 20 people indoors (10 in each space) and up to 50 people outdoors.

Council staff have been visiting all hospitality businesses in the shire over the past week to discuss options available for venues.

Particularly, staff have been assisting businesses with extending their liquor licences and hiring outdoor furniture.

Chief executive David Leahy said Council was covering the hire cost of outdoor equipment, if required, for businesses until they were in a position to purchase their own.

“This includes outdoor chairs and tables, as well as things like temporary fencing and umbrellas,” he said.

Council was also helping businesses extend their liquor licencing to footpaths and new outdoor dining areas.

“We are providing businesses with a permission letter, which will allow them to get a temporary permit to extend their red line. This permit will last until June 2021,” Mr Leahy said.

Businesses are able to apply for a $5000 state government grant to assist with re-opening and Council staff are providing business owners with information on this process.

“We want to see as many businesses as possible open up and return to some sort of normality,” Mr Leahy said.

“We are keeping the lines of communication open and helping out any way we can.

“It is now up to our residents to go out and support these businesses where possible to ensure our communities continue to thrive.”

Mr Leahy said most hospitality businesses in the shire were looking to re-open over the next few weeks.

“Everyone has appreciated the fact that our staff have been proactive in helping them get back to business,” he said.

Any West Wimmera Shire business requiring more information on restrictions, state and federal government support, or other COVID-19 matters, should contact Council on 13 WWSC (13 99 72).