JULY 29, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
(Joe Mastroianni) 211697_01
Face masks lead revival An Altona business that was crippled by the COVID-19 crisis is now working overtime to fulil mask orders. Elle & Stuart owner Maureen Bourke said she had received hundreds of orders as masks became mandatory in public last Thursday. “By the start of the irst lockdown, we were in awful trouble because a lot of the business is bridal alterations and clothing alterations,” she said. “We were down 83 per cent.” Masks changed everything. “I’ve been able to employ somebody and my husband’s also here doing all the admin … we’re really, really under the pump to get everything out,” Ms Bourke said. “They’re selling out very, very quickly. I think we’ve had about 600 orders … but people may be ordering 10 pieces. “We’ve done 14 days straight, 10 hours-plus a day. “You’ve just got to keep moving. “We’re about six weeks away from turning 10 so there’s no way we won’t be there for it. “We will be there at the end of this whole horrible situation.” Goya Dmytryshchak
MAUREEN BOURKE AND EMMA FRY
Rates freeze approved By Benjamin Millar Maribyrnong ratepayers have received a rare rate rise reprieve ater councillors voted to freeze property rates at existing levels. Maribyrnong council’s drat 2020-21 budget had lagged the possibility of adopting the maximum two per cent rate rise permitted by the state government this year, redistributing the $1.9 million in extra income to the ratepayers hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. But councillors last week opted to keep rates on hold at existing levels in recognition of the widespread impact of the pandemic.
he decision to freeze rate revenue in 2020-21 will cost the council close to $20 million in foregone income over the next decade. But Maribyrnong mayor Sarah Carter said the decision was based on community feedback and the right thing to do in the unprecedented circumstances. She said the council had initially proposed to quarantine the additional $1.9 million that would have been raised for those most in need, but knows that all residents and businesses are inding times tough. “he thing that’s really clear to us, that came through strongly, is whether you’ve lost your
job, whether your hours have been decreased, whether you’ve had to shut a small business or whether you’ve had to outlay money to school your kids at home, everyone is doing it really really tough,” she said. “We know that, we hear that, so council has decided for the irst time in history, as far as I can remember, not to take up the rate increase.” he annual budget of $149.7 million will include $2.5 million spending on support packages for residents and businesses facing inancial hardship due to the pandemic. he Pensioner Rate Rebate Scheme will increase by two per cent, from $194.30 to $198.20.
Cr Carter said the council is still planning a “stimulus budget” that includes moving forward with the RecWest Footscray redevelopment, Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre upgrade design and an action plan for the NeXt Project redevelopment of the Footscray Library site. he council will also spend $12.7 million to improve roads, $12.5 on parks, open space and streetscapes, $3 million on footpaths and cycle ways and $1.8 million for recreational, leisure and community facilities. Other spending includes a new $300,000 Community Arts Grants Program for projects run by local arts organisations.
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