The Victorian Government has announced a major stimulus injection to help businesses recover strongly from the effects of the Omicron variant.
The $200 million package was announced by Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Martin Pakula and Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Creative Industries Danny Pearson. It targets key sectors led by hospitality and tourism and will support jobs across the state.
A new and extended $100 million voucher scheme will provide rebates to Victorians for entertainment, dining and travel. This includes a $10 million round of Melbourne Money to be delivered with the City of Melbourne, enticing diners back to city cafes, bars and restaurants by reimbursing part of their bill.
The scheme will be extended across the state with a new $30 million program providing rebates on food and wine experiences in regional areas and in suburbs beyond Melbourne’s borders.
A new entertainment voucher scheme will provide $30 million in rebates for tickets to the theatre, live music, cinemas, museums, galleries, conferences, exhibitions and other events across Victoria.
A new $30 million round of the Victorian Travel Voucher Scheme will encourage even more people to holiday at home and spend on accommodation, attractions and tours.
A $60 million Ventilation Voucher Program will help small businesses purchase equipment and upgrades to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace and improve customer confidence. It will offer rebates of up to $5,000 as well as $500 vouchers.
Some $34.2 million of Jobs Victoria funding will be used to place workers in over 1,500 jobs across hospitality, warehousing and logistics, tourism and food processing.
A further $5 million will extend the Small Business Digital Adaptation Program, providing rebates of up to $1,200 so businesses can access a range of digital tools.
The extension of the Business Recovery and Resilience Mentoring Program with the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry will mean more small businesses will have access to coaching.
This latest package builds on the more than $13 billion in business support allocated by the Government during the pandemic. For more information on the package including when each program opens, visit Business Victoria’s website.
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