14 September 2020
Mainstreet Australia is thrilled to hear the Victorian Government’s recent announcement for the $100 million city recovery fund targeted towards small businesses across Melbourne. Mainstreet Australia President Peter McNabb believes ‘this support for outdoor trading is critical funding that otherwise would not be feasible for small businesses to pay for tables, chairs and the like, who are already doing it tough’. This funding would go towards paying for outdoor dining furniture, creation of ‘parklets’ that would allow socially distanced outdoor dining, increased marketing, events and entertainment which are vital activities to ensure that the vibrancy and attractiveness of these precincts are maintained.
Initiatives to enhance outdoor dining precincts are well known around the world, often managed with the assistance of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in the UK and USA. We at Mainstreet Australia have been advocating for exciting and innovative ways to liven up our restaurant/dining and bar precincts, that define, brand and shape a neighbourhood whether it be through placemaking, events, activation and repurposing road or underutilised space.
Post-Covid, dining and restaurant operators need the space and the creativity to pivot, and this further funding will allow for this to happen on an unprecedented scale during unprecedented times. We understand these changes may not suit or be appropriate for every business or location, but Mainstreet Australia is looking forward to working with centre managers, traders or local councils for support and guidance.
About Mainstreet Australia
Main streets have been a part of our urban areas since the earliest subdivisions occurred. Over the decades they have grown, contracted and evolved to match the changes in and demands of their communities.
There are 696 main street centres located across metropolitan, regional and rural Victoria, with 470 of these centres having a total floorspace greater than 5000sqm.
These businesses in these centres provide 385,090 jobs:
- Retail jobs: 140,000
- Office jobs: 200,100
- Other jobs: 44,990
The centres generate $49 billion in Gross Regional Product towards the Victorian economy.
The centres accommodate 10.05 million square metres of floorspace:
- Retail Floorspace: 4.78mil sqm
- Office Floorspace: 3.70mil sqm
- Other Floorspace: 1.57mil sqm
Main street centres are a vital component of Victoria’s economy. These centres are, however, much more than simply economic entities. They are the places where communities gather and use community, health, education, entertainment and recreation facilities, access public transport, or simply places to spend time socialising and celebrating with family and friends.
For more information contact Maryanne Coffey at info@mainstreet.org.au or contacts us on 0412 104 717