NEWS DESK
Grants open for struggling businesses
Picture: Gary Sissons
Cash splash for closed pool THE Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre will receive an immediate cash injection of nearly $700,000 from council to help deal with the financial fallout of COVID-19. The swimming centre has been shut during the pandemic, resulting in 259 casual staff and 26 permanent staff being stood down without pay. At council’s May meeting, it was agreed that PARC would receive an immediate payment of just under $680,000, as well as a further provision of just over $2 million processed quarterly throughout the 2020/2021 financial year. That amount will be paid “after proper assessment and acquittal, under arrangements to be worked through between Peninsula Leisure and council”.
The motion approved by Frankston councillors “notes that the disbursement of any funds in the 2020/21 financial year is subject to a further report to council that authorises a mechanism that would have the effect of returning the funds to council with interest.” The funding was drawn from council’s PARC asset management reserve. The staff stood down at the swimming centre are ineligible for the JobKeeper program because they are employed by a council owned entity. Dunkley MP Peta Murphy has again called for the federal government to expand the program to include the affected PARC workers. “I am terribly disappointed that the federal government insists it is not their responsibil-
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ity to help 259 stood down employees keep their jobs at PARC. If the federal government was serious about supporting local jobs and local people, they would extend JobKeeper to PARC employees,” she said. “During the last sitting week of Parliament I asked the treasurer a direct question, why has his government excluded PARC employees from the JobKeeper wage subsidy. His response was that the federal government wouldn’t give these locals job security through JobKeeper, and that I should go and lobby someone else.” It was revealed last month that the JobKeeper program would cost around $60 billion less than was originally projected. Brodie Cowburn
APPLICATIONS for two grant programs aimed at local businesses have opened. The 2020 kerbside dining encouragement and façade improvement grant programs are set to get up and running. The kerbside dining encouragement program offers up to $2000 to businesses to improve their outdoor dining areas. The facade improvement grant offers up to $5000 to businesses to work on the front of their buildings. The grants are a joint initiative by council and the state government. Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke said that with COVID-19 measures starting to ease, the state government is “actively encouraging and supporting cafes and restaurants to expand their operations by delivering quality outdoor dining experiences.” “Now is the time for local businesses to jump on board and I encourage business operators to apply now to enhance your dining experiences for residents and visitors in time for summer,” he said. Frankston’s Robinsons Bookshop owner Susanne Horman said the facade improvement grant had helped her create a new shopfront. “We are Victoria’s oldest independent bookshop, and the new heritage look façade and carriage lights have really helped the shop appear that
way,” she said. “Not having to pay for the shop front was a huge boost for us. It is such a high impact part of the store. “We are proud that we have managed to stay open and the new frontage is already drawing people in. I can’t wait until the restrictions are lifted and customers can sit down at our new café and enjoy it all.” Last month council approved extra funding for multiple grant programs to help local businesses recover from the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Applications for both 2020 programs close at 5pm, 30 June. For more details visit frankston.vic.gov. au/Business/Business_Grants/ Frankston’s Robinsons Bookshop owner Susanne Horman. Picture: Supplied
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Frankston Times 2 June 2020
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