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Supporting Brimbank businesses through COVID-19 - Financial relief update
Council rates
Council now allows individual businesses to apply for financial hardship to defer payment of Council rates including the St Albans and Sunshine marketing and business development special rates.
This means that Council can develop a rates payment plan with individual businesses where the payment of rates can be deferred. This can also include payment deferral of the marketing and business development special rate, however, Council will continue to pay the Sunshine and St Albans Business Association in quarterly instalments regardless of the rates collected so it can continue to deliver its program of marketing and business development activities.
To make arrangements or defer your rates payments, apply online and complete the COVID-19 Hardship Application Form (also available in Vietnamese). For more information on rates relief, contact Council’s Rates Department on 9249 4000.
Changes have been made to the following Council fees and charges:
Food Act Fees and Public Health and Wellbeing Act fees
- All existing Public Health & Wellbeing businesses: Premises temporarily closed between 16 March 2020 and 31 December 2020 will get a 50% refund of the registration fee paid on application. This will only apply for those businesses that have paid the 2019/20 renewal and are currently closed.
- Existing Food Act Class 2 businesses including cafes, restaurants, manufacturers that are temporarily closed between 16 March 2020 and 31 December 2020 will get a 50% refund of registration fee upon application and only for those that have paid 2019/20 renewal and are currently closed.
- Individual businesses can apply for a refund for Public Health & Wellbeing Act and Food Act Class 2 fees by emailing the Environmental Health Services Department at health@brimbank.vic.gov.au. An application form will be available on Council’s website early this week.
- ‘New’ Public Health & Wellbeing business fees opened after 1 March 2020 to 30 June 2021 will be waived.
- ‘New’ business fees opened after 16 March 2020 to 30 June 2021 will be waived for Class 2 (cafes, restaurants, manufacturers) businesses.
- There are no changes to Food Act Fees Class 1: This applies to high risk businesses (like - aged care facilities, child care, hospital kitchen) and Class 3: low risk businesses (like convenience stores, green grocers).
- Permanently closed businesses: no change to treatment of fees paid.
Businesses with Outdoor Dining and Goods for Sale permits will receive an automatic pro-rata refund. Fees will be waived for the 2021 calendar year though a permit is still required.
Planning application fee waivers for small businesses who can demonstrate employment benefit.
Full waiver of event permit fees for events between 1 January and 20 June 2021, but a permit application and approval is still required. Refunds for events cancelled between 16 March and 31 December 2020 can be arranged with Council’s Civic Compliance Department on 9249 4000.
For more information on Council’s Coronavirus Response & Recovery Strategy visit Response and Recovery Strategy pages.
Mental Wellbeing Support for Small Business
COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on many businesses including the mental health and wellbeing of business owners, staff and family. People may be feeling afraid, worried, anxious and overwhelmed by the constantly changing alerts and media coverage regarding the spread of the virus, as well as concerned about the future of their business or employment. Looking after your mental health and wellbeing is important. Beyond Blue provide practical advice and a guide for small business owners to help you navigate this challenging time including supporting employees, working from home, and accessing support. For more information, click here
JobKeeper Payment
From 20 April 2020, you can enrol in the Australian Government JobKeeper scheme on the ATO website using an online form. After you enrol, you will later identify your specific eligible employees and submit the information to the ATO. For more information and to enrol for the JobKeeper payment visit the ATO website.
Upcoming workshops
Register for Council’s online workshops including topics on:
- Taking your business online
- Marketing your business
- How to build a website
- How to get onto
- Facebook fast Facebook for Entrepreneurs
- Visual merchandise and more
For more information and registration visit Council’s online workshops.
Translating & Interpreting Service
Do you need telephone or on-site interpreting? The service is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for any individual or organisation in Australia requiring interpreting services. Visit https://www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/map/translating-interpreting-service-tis for more information.
Business Support and Assistance
The St Albans Place Manager is proactively contacting businesses to make sure you’re aware of the latest business support and assistance information and that you’re ok. If you’ve not been contacted, and would like a confidential chat please call 9249 4000 and ask for the Sunshine Place Manager or email STATownCentre@brimbank.vic.gov.au.
Stay connected through these local social links:
@StAlbansTownCentre
#StAlbansTownCentre
St Albans e-Bulletin
If you think this weekly eBulletin would be of interest to a business in the St AlbansTown Centre, please forward this email and they can subscribe to our mailing list at https://www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/go-st-albans-newsletter-subscription.
Missed out on previous eBulletins?
Visit https://www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/newsletters to view past, online copies. |
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