Moyne Shire Council is working to support Moyne businesses during COVID -19 and into recovery. Our Recovery approach aims to protect, support and rebuild business capacity that will strengthen and foster innovation,streamline processes to access all level of government, emergency funding and adapt and collaborate to grow and support a strong local economy.
With Regional Victoria moving into the third Step of the Victorian Government’s reopening roadmap, hospitality businesses are now allowed to open for outdoor dining.
Moyne Shire Council is here to make it easy for hospitality businesses to either start or expand their outdoor dining footprint to maximise the number of customers that are able to dine.
The following capacity limits apply for hospitality venues in regional Victoria under the third Step:
Outdoor areas
- One person per two square metres with up to 50 per venue
- Outdoor spaces may have a temporary or fixed cover (e.g. awning or roof) so long as such cover has at least two open sides for airflow
Indoor areas
- One person per 4 square metres with up to 10 per space, and no more than 20 per venue
- Each indoor space must be separated by permanent structures or be an area of the premises that is sufficiently separated from any other area of the premises.
Tables/ Bookings
- Patrons must be seated so that they are 1.5m away from any patron in an adjacent group, and no more than 10 patrons per table/booking.
To support this, outdoor dining areas may be able to expand along the footpath or in some instances you may be able to make temporary use of open space or adjacent car parks, particularly if you are part of a group of neighbouring hospitality businesses.
There is no cost to commence or expand your outdoor dining footprint because Council has already waived all outdoor dining, foothpath and local laws fees for the 2020/21 budget year. A State Government grant of up to $5,000 are now available for eligible hospitality businesses with an annual payroll of less than $3 million to pay for the practical things like umbrellas, outdoor furniture, screens and other equipment which will help the indoor dining and cafe experiences that Victorians love to move outdoors. Grants can also assist businesses with training, marketing and other costs associated with adapting new or expanding existing outdoor dining or entertainment. To apply for the grant, please visit - Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Package Business Grantson the Business Victoria website.
We encourage you to start thinking how this can work for your business and encourage you to utilise existing space in the first instance and work with your neighbours and trader associations.
Please note this opportunity is temporary. Council staff will continue to monitor if these approvals need to be extended or other arrangements put in place.
Below are some steps to consider before setting up or applying for your outdoor dinning
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Talk with neighbouring businesses and local traders’ groups - Applications put forward by a collective group of businesses will be looked upon favourably. Now is the time to work together - disputes or disagreements about location of infrastructure and seating will delay applications.
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Consider safety and access first - Not all streets are suitable for on-street dining. For example, businesses located on streets with speed limits at 60km/hr or above, or with limited car parking will not be suited. Think about how you can you locate seating so that pram and wheelchair access is maintained on footpaths at all times.
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Liquor licensing - Visit www.vcglr.vic.gov.au/covid-19 to find out more about applying for a Temporary Limited Licence in al fresco areas.
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COVID Safe Plan - You must have a COVID Safe Plan and record all patron names and contact numbers. All additional Victorian Government advice regarding outdoor trading requirements for the hospitality sector must also be strictly followed.
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State Government Grants - Visit the Business Victoria website to apply for grants of up to $5000.
For more information and and guidance on the Hospitality Industry requirements, please visit - https://www.business.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1934989/Industry-Restart-Guidelines-Hospitality.pdf
Or to discuss your outdoor dinning options, please contact the Local Laws team on 03 55680567 or send an email to moyne@moyne.vic.gov.au
Third Step Roadmap Restrictions
From 17 September 2020, Regional Victoria entered Step 3 of the Victorian Government's Roadmap. For a summary of the State Government's Steps toward COVID Normal, please visit the Victorian government Coronavirus website. There are also some good compliance guidelines for industry sectors on the Business Victoria website. Information on Council services are available from our website - here as well as news and information from our Facebook page.
All businesses in Victoria must have a COVIDSafe Plan. For information and resources to help your business prepare a COVIDSafe Plan visit the Business Victoria website. Of particular interest for dairy farmers, please refer to this link - Victorian COVIDSafe Plan template for dairy farms.
Businesses operating under the current restriction levels must ensure they are creating a COVIDSafe workplace using the following principles.
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Ensure physical distancing of 1.5 metres.
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Wear a face covering or mask.
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Practice good hygiene – wash hands regularly, and cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow.
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Keep good records and act quickly if staff become unwell.
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Avoid interactions in close spaces.
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Create workforce bubbles.
Businesses must review and update their COVIDSafe Plans routinely, especially when restrictions or public health advice changes.
Employers must notify WorkSafe of COVID -19 Cases
Under the new regulations, employers are now required to notify WorkSafe immediately when they become aware a worker has received a confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnosis. Failing to notify WorkSafe under section 38 of the OHS Act can lead to fines of up to $39,652 (240 penalty units) for an individual or $198,264 (1200 penalty units) for a body corporate. To notify WorkSafe of a positive coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnosis, employers or self-employed persons should call the WorkSafe advisory service on 13 23 60 or complete the Covid – 19 reporting form on the WorkSafe website.
For more information on the latest updates on COVID response and support for business, please visit the Council website.
Business Adaptation Service
Registrations are now open for the Business Adaptation Service (BAS), a FREE program ready to deliver expert advice to support, adapt and innovate local businesses adversely impacted by COVID-19.
Local businesses are encouraged to apply for support. Through the program, they will be provided with support services, find out how to access grants and receive customised mentoring up to the value of $1000.
Facilitated by professional business consultants with extensive and varied experience, the BAS service will focus around nine core areas - Financial Advice, Business Planning, Designing and Creating Websites, Marketing, Digital Business Strategies, Business Collaboration, COVID-19 Safe Plans, Succession Planning and Information Technology.
Eligible businesses can nominate to receive up to three of these core services and will then be provided with the complimentary advice.
This completely confidential service will be conveniently delivered in remote format by either phone or video. Participants will be provided with a summary of key discussion points covered in their sessions for use as a reference resource.
Businesses of all sizes are encouraged to submit an application for the program, with eligibility requirements and information listed on the Moyne Shire website at: http://www.moyne.vic.gov.au/Our-Services/Economic-Development/Business-Adaptation-Service
For any queries regarding the program, please contact Council’s Economic Development Officer, Paul Andriessen on 1300 656 564.
This program is proudly funded by Moyne Shire Council and Regional Development Victoria.
The Federal Government assistance is available to help your business withstand the impact of the Coronavirus and encourage an economic recovery into the future.
The temporary assistance measures include:
- a wage subsidy to support businesses and not-for-profits
- help to manage cash flow
- a wage subsidy for apprentices and trainees
- a safety net for companies facing financial distress
- a time-limited asset investment incentive
- and credit and loans
To learn more about these assitance packages provided by the Federal Goverment, please visit - https://treasury.gov.au/coronavirus/businesses
Coronavirus Business Liaison Unit
This specialist unit has been set up within the Commonwealth’s Treasury Department to engage with peak business and industry groups on systemic issues and provide regular updates to government on crucial issues. If you need to pass on information to this unit, it is important to be in contact with your relevant industry peak body who will then be able to directly provide feedback to the liaison unit. To contact the Coronavirus Business Liaison Unit, email CoronavirusBusinessLiaison@treasury.gov.au.
The Victorian Government is investing $3 billion in cash grants, tax relief and cashflow support to Victorian businesses that have been most affected by coronavirus (COVID-19). The following grants are part of the State Government Business Resilience Package.
Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Package Business Grants
The Victorian Government’s Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Package will provide $87.5 million to councils and businesses outside of Melbourne’s CBD to make outdoor dining safe, practical and a reality this summer. Grants of up to $5,000 will be available to help hospitality businesses pay for the practical things that will make this plan work – umbrellas, outdoor furniture, screens and other equipment. For more detail please visit the Business Victoria website here.
Sole Trader Support Fund
Applications are now open for the Victorian Government’s Sole Trader Support Fund. You may be eligible for a $3000 grant if you are a non-employing Victorian sole trader within an eligible business sector operating out of a commercial premises or location. This support will assist eligible Victorian sole traders with overhead costs and utilities. Please visit the Business Victoria website for full details on the eligibility criteria and advice on how to apply.
Business Support Fund - Expansion
The Victorian Government has announced a third round of the Business Support Fund to provide direct financial support to businesses impacted by restrictions in Victoria. The amount of grants available from this program range from $10,000 to $20,000 depending on the business’s annual payroll.A full list of the eligibility criteria for a grant will be published when applications open. Grant applications will open on Friday 18 September 2020. For more information and to apply please visit the Business Victoria website.
Grants for Business Chambers and Trader Groups
Grants of $10,000, $20,000 or $50,000 are available to Victorian business chamber and trader groups for initiatives that enable local business collaboration, help members access support and transition into recovery and restart.
This program focuses on locally-led initiatives which use business chamber and trader group networks to empower local businesses and help members to transition and adapt their businesses to the new COVID Normal.
To be eligible for the grant, the business chamber or trader group must:
- Be based in Victoria
- Be a non-profit, business membership-based organisation (with a membership of businesses) that services a specific geographic area (e.g. a business zone, suburb or region)
- Have the core purpose of acting for its members and promoting commerce in a specific geographic area
- Hold a current Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at 13 September 2020
- Be registered with the responsible federal or state regulator or with the relevant local council.
Interested Victorian business chambers and trader groups are invited to submit an expression of interest by completing and submitting the form on this page no later than 5 October 2020. To find out more and to begin a preliminary application, please visit -https://www.business.vic.gov.au/support-for-your-business/grants-and-assistance/business-resilience-package/grants-for-business-chambers-and-trader-groups
Rural Financial Counselling Service
The Rural Financial Counselling Service is an independent service operating in Western Victoria offering FREE and confidential financial counselling and assistance to small businesses experiencing challenges as a result of lower income or increasing costs.
- RFC can provide support and information in the following areas:
- Help prepare budgets and cash flows. Assist with loan or refinance applications.
- Provide support and negotiate with suppliers and financial institutions.
- Assist with benchmarking your business' financial performance.
- One on one ongoing support.
- Help you look at business opportunities.
- Assist you to meet any application requirements.
For regional business impacted by the Covid-19 that need help in accessing Government support, please phone: 1300 735 578 or Visit www.wswrcs.com.au to make your appointment.
Prepare your Business for COVID - 19 Recovery with Localised
Localised is a FREE business directory and network designed to connect businesses across Moyne and the Great South Coast region.
By adding your business to Localised, you're putting your business in front of other business owners who are looking to do business in the region.Plus you'll be able to:
- Advertise your goods and services to the local business community
- Use the notice board to advise of changes to business hours and online service options
- Engage with other businesses to get local quotes
- Discover networking and professional development events across our region
JOIN LOCALISED NOW: https://greatsouthcoast.localised.com.au/moyne/
How to add your business to Localised: https://youtu.be/AQDe0t1ZUBc
Tourism Update for the Great Ocean Road Region
Latest news on what’s happening locally for the Great South Coast Region can be found here https://www.greatoceanroadtourism.org.au/coronavirus/
Information for Dairy Farmers
The Australian Dairy Farmers have developed a webpage to provide a comprehensive directory of all updates and relevant technical advice that will help farmers navigate the uncertainty around dairy business operations and the net impact on the industry. Visit the webpage here.