Businesses that have taken a blow in Victoria’s deadly bushfire crisis will have access to a $64 million state government support package.
But Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has acknowledged restoring crucial power and communications in some fire-hit regions remains a “painstaking” process.
The fresh help includes immediate payroll tax relief to employers operating in the councils covered by a previous state of disaster, halving of stamp duty for those who need to relocate or expand, and the waiving of water rates for 12 months.
The affected councils will also share in $10 million worth of funding to distribute to people whose homes have been destroyed or damaged, or use to waive fees and charges as they see fit.
The greatest challenge for many businesses in Victoria’s high country, northeast and East Gippsland has been losing patronage in what would usually be their busiest time of the year, Mr Andrews said.
“There has been really significant impact on their taking, on their businesses, as they look to the future,” he told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.
The latest support is aimed at giving them a helping hand without overlapping with relief being provided by the federal government, Mr Andrews noted.
Small business advisers will be stationed at relief centres to provide advice and the regional industry groups will share in $500,000 worth of grants to facilitate networking events and tourism opportunities.
The wine industry will get access to its own technical advice as it navigates the impact of smoke on this year’s vintage.
It comes while some fire-affected communities remain without power and mobile coverage.
The premier said detailed assessments have been completed of the damage wrought on power infrastructure and now it’s just a “painstaking” process to get the essential services running again.
“I know it’s very, very frustrating for communities to be without power, to be without the kind of comms that they need to function,” he said.
“But again it does take time to rebuild the poles, the wires, all of that work.”
AAP
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