COVID-19 business support information

From 11.59pm Thursday 17 June, the 25km travel limit was removed and travel between metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria will resume.

• Two visitors per day (plus dependants) will be permitted to gather inside the home in metro Melbourne
• Twenty people can gather outside in Melbourne
• Masks will continue to be required indoors but they are no longer required outdoors – however they’ll still be recommended when you can’t maintain physical distancing.
• In Melbourne, funerals can be held with up to 75 mourners
• Weddings can be held with no more than 20
• Gyms can open across Melbourne, with density limits and COVIDSafe plans in place.
• Hair and beauty services can now operate without masks during service.

A full table of restrictions can be found here

SUPPORTING BUSINESSES WITH OUTDOOR DINING

COVIDSafe outdoor dining and entertainment initiatives have proved popular and have given businesses further scope to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to the recent impacts of lockdowns Councils to will extend outdoor dining permits until 1 July 2022 and support local hospitality businesses to operate in a COVIDSafe way.  

Footpath trading permit fees will continue to be waived until this time.

Any businesses wishing to explore outdoor dining options can call 9433 3111 or email business@nillumbik.vic.gov.au 

Building on the $250.7 million Circuit Breaker Business Support Package announced Sunday 30 May, a new allocation of up to $209.3 million will flow to small and medium-sized businesses, including sole traders,increasing the total support package to $460 million.

Business Costs Assistance Program

The Victorian Government’s $371 million Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two will assist eligible small to medium businesses most affected by the restrictions announced on Thursday 27 May 2021 and extended beyond Thursday 3 June 2021.  

The program offers grants of up to $5,000 to eligible small and medium businesses, including employing and non-employing businesses. The grants will support businesses in eligible sectors directly impacted by restrictions.

Eligible businesses with an annual payroll of up to $10 million can receive grants of $2,500 or $5,000.

Before submitting your application, please read all the information on this page, including the program guidelines and the frequently asked questions (FAQs).  Applications close 11:59pm on 24 June 2021.  
Apply here

A new round of the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund

The $70 million Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 supports eligible licensed hospitality venues.

Grants of $3,500 for businesses with a premises in regional Victoria and $7,000 for businesses with a premises in metropolitan Melbourne will be available to eligible liquor licensees operating a restaurant, hotel, café, pub, bar, club, or reception centre that is registered to serve food and alcohol.

• Eligible liquor licensees with an eLicence email address will receive an email containing their grant application link from Business Victoria from Thursday 3 June 2021.
• Liquor licensees without an eLicence email address must set one up on their Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation Liquor Portal by 20 June 2021 to receive their grant application link from Business Victoria within five business days.

Before you submit an application, please read all the information on this page, including the program guidelines and the frequently asked questions (FAQs). Applicants must also ensure they have the required documentation before applying.  
Applications close 11:59pm on 24 June 2021.
Apply here

Victorian Events Support Package

The Events Support Package helps the event industry, including large event operators and suppliers, event promoters, producers and other businesses that deliver live performance events that have had events and work cancelled due to the recent restrictions in Victoria. Further details on this program will be announced soon.  Find out more here.

Friday 28 May 2021, all venues and businesses are required to undertake electronic record-keeping must use the Victorian Government QR Code Service through the Service Victoria app.

This move finally delivers the consistency across the state that Victoria has been lacking and provides a convenient check-in experience for consumers, giving contact tracers access to the best data quickly.

More information here

As part of the Victorian Government’s $26 million Wellbeing and Mental Health Support program for small businesses, the Partners in Wellbeing helpline is there to support you and your employees.

The Partners in Wellbeing helpline offers free and confidential one-on-one access to experienced wellbeing coaches who understand exactly what you’re going through. They have the skills and insights to improve your sense of wellbeing, help you develop coping strategies, and provide the advice and support you need to get through this difficult time.

The telephone helpline has also been expanded to provide business owners under stress with free access to financial counsellors and business advisors.

If you are distressed or anxious about your business, please call Partners in Wellbeing at 1300 375 330 from Monday to Friday 9am–10pm, Saturday to Sunday 9am–5pm.

 More information here

About this support package

There are four initiatives available for eligible businesses as part of this support package.

Travel Voucher schemes

Two travel voucher schemes will encourage Victorians to travel across the state, as our tourism industry recovers from the impacts of COVID-19 and bushfires.

The schemes include:

• a new Melbourne Travel Voucher Scheme with 40,000 vouchers to support travel in greater Melbourne will launch soon
• an expanded Regional Travel Voucher Scheme with an additional 10,000 vouchers to support travel in regional Victoria

This brings to 200,000 the total number of vouchers offered under the travel voucher schemes.

Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund – Circuit Breaker Action Payment

Eligible businesses who received a grant through the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund will receive a further one-off payment of $3000 to help with costs incurred as a result of the circuit breaker action.

You do not need to apply for this payment. You will be contacted with further information.

For previously announced support funding and programs see Grants & programs.

NILLUMBIK OUTDOOR DINING DIRECTORY 

The Third Step in Victoria's roadmap for reopening for Metropolitan Melbourne permits hospitality businesses such as restaurants, cafes and bars to reopen using limited indoor and outdoor dining spaces.  We encourage Nillumbik residents to support local businesses by visiting our local cafes and restaurants.

To include your business in the free outdoor dining directory, please complete this online form.

Council is extending the validity of Circulatory Road parking permits until 30 June 2021.  This initiative is part of Council’s commitment to ongoing support to traders in response to the significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A replacement permits with the revised expiry date will be posted to your registered business address in the coming weeks.

Please note that obtaining a permit will not guarantee a parking space as the number of permits issued may exceed the number of parking bays available.

If you would like any further information on Circulatory Road car park permits please contact the Community Safety Team on 9433 3231.

The Victorian Government has released roadmaps for reopening for how we live and work in both metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, providing a long-term plan for our path out of restrictions and into COVID Normal.

As part of the plans to support businesses to safely reopen and get Victorians back to work, the Victorian Government has developed a COVIDSafe Plan template to reduce the risk of introduction and spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the workplace. Every Victorian business that is open for on-site operations must download, complete and sign a COVIDSafe Plan

To ensure compliance, random spot checks are underway in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. If you own a business in a high-risk industry, you must have a High Risk COVIDSafe Plan.

High-risk industries include poultry processing facilities, abattoirs and meat processing facilities, seafood processing facilities, supermarkets, medical supply, pharmaceutical supply and personal protective equipment supply facilities, warehousing and distribution centres, construction sites, manufacturing facilities, and wholesale facilities.

FACT-SHEET_-Do-you-need-help-creating-a-COVIDSafe-Plan_Translator.pdf(PDF, 48KB)

FACT-SHEET_-What-to-do-if-a-worker-is-unwell.pdf(PDF, 55KB)

FACT-SHEET_-What-to-do-if-a-worker-test-positive.pdf(PDF, 55KB)

The Victorian Startup Capital Fund
A further $60.5 million has been allocated by the Victorian Government for a Fund of Funds – the Victorian Startup Capital Fund, leveraging up to $180 million in private sector investment. This will inject much needed early-stage funding into the start-up ecosystem supporting start-ups to become the scales and unicorns of the future.  More information here

Women's Angel Sidecar Fund
To increase the number of women founders, $10 million has been allocated to a Women’s founders Angel Sidecar Fund while unlocking a further $30 million in private sector equity.

Established by LaunchVic, the Fund will assist women founders to raise capital to grow their early-stage start-ups. More information here

The Venture Growth Fund
A major coup for start-ups and investors, is the $25.7 million Venture Debt Scheme – the Venture Growth Fund run by Invest Victoria that will inject late stage capital into the ecosystem. More information here 

R&D Cash Flow Loans
The R&D Cash Flow Loans initiative that will provide up to $50 million in low-interest loans to innovative businesses including start-ups that undertake research in Victoria.  More information here

For more information on what the Victorian Budget means for business click here  

Business-Social-Media-Cheat-Sheet-Info-Sheet-Digital.pdf(PDF, 244KB)

Nillumbik Council branded COVID-19 posters are available for you to download and print to help stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19)

Posters-for-Business-19Feb21.pdf(PDF, 155KB)

The following business and tourism associations are independent groups of businesses who work together to represent and achieve the needs of local traders and the wider business community.

Council works in partnership with three traders association within the Shire which are run by trader committees.

These committees organise marketing campaigns, events and activities which benefit the interests of local traders, and are accountable to its members. 

Nillumbik Tourism and Business

Nillumbik Tourism and Business is a regional organisation for local business providing networking, professional development and advocacy.

President Richard Dovile
0419 178 275

dickiecalender@gmail.com 

www.ntb.org.au

Hurstbridge Traders Association

President Ian Mason
0418 597 176

ian@mwmrealestate.com.au 

www.hurstbridgevillage.com.au

Diamond Creek Traders Association

President Claire Nolle
Vice President Paige O'Connor

Marketing Coordinator Anna Henderson & Yvette Standfield
0417 580 009

secretary@diamondcreekshopping.com.au

www.diamondcreekshopping.com.au

Eltham Chamber of Commerce and Industry

President Michael Williams
(03) 9439 7568

thompsonsmc@gmail.com

www.elthamtown.com

Economic Development Advisory Committee

The Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) provides a formal mechanism for Council to consult with key stakeholders to seek specialist advice on economic development issues, initiatives, policies and strategies. More information here.

Support and relief from service providers

Momentum Energy, Origin Energy, AGL and Vodaphone are just a few examples of service providers who are offering relief to customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contact your service providers directly to find out if they are offering any form of relief or support for business at this time. 

Mental Health Support

If you know of anyone that you are concerned about in relation to their mental wellbeing, some of the supporting groups are:

• Salvation Army (Disasters and emergnecy support) - phone 1300 662 217
• Lifeline (Mental health and wellbeing) - phone 13 11 14
• Beyondblue (Mental health and wellbeing) - phone 1300 224 636
• Headspace (Youth mental health and wellbeing) - phone 1800 650 890

State and Federal Government initiatives

Information on assistance packages that your business may be eligible for can be found here

Reduce your Risk of Coronavirus

Click here to learn simple steps to reducing your risk of Coronavirus 

More links 

• ANZ Bank – 1800 252 845
• Commonwealth Bank Hardship – 1300 720 814
• National Australia Bank Care – 1800 701 599
• Bank of Queensland – 1800 079 866
• Westpac Assist – 1800 067 497
• Bank of Melbourne – 1800 600 266
• Bendigo Bank – Contact your Business Banker
• CPA Australia have some useful resources for businesses
• Telstra services support can be found here
• COVID-19 Infection Control Training –  Department Of Health

Coronovarius-and-the-meat-industry-Covid-19.pdf(PDF, 182KB)

 (PDF, 182KB)Covid-19-Fact-Sheet-Abattoir-and-Poultry-Processing-Facilities.pdf(PDF, 154KB)

Covid-19-Fact-Sheet-Abattoir-and-Poultry-Processing-Facilities_1.pdf(PDF, 154KB)

How-to-clean-and-disinfect-after-Covid-19-case-in-the-workplace-2.pdf(PDF, 176KB)

How-to-clean-and-disinfect-after-Covid-19-case-in-the-workplace.pdf(PDF, 161KB)

 How-to-dispose-of-PPE-from-householes.pdf(PDF, 316KB)

Looking-after-your-mental-health-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic.pdf(PDF, 93KB)