The state government's initiatives to support business affected by the five-day circuit-breaker lockdown earlier in the month have received mixed responses.
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Individual businesses will be eligible for grants up up to $4500 through three different initiatives.
Royal Hotel owner Grant Fielder said he appreciates the excellent news, but the funding would only cover a fraction of his business's lockdown cost.
"That funding won't cover the costs. Short by a long shot," he said.
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The Royal Hotel was open for the lockdown but only offered take-away meals.
But losing its dine-in service, Mr Fielder said the business lost a substantial amount of money.
"It's just you pay staff and you have very little income. It hurts the business substantially," he said.
"You still have to pay for everything, your staff, and insurance, as if you were open. But you weren't open."
Business Horsham ambassador Stacy Teig said the funding was a start but hoped more would be done in the future to support small businesses.
"I think it targets the right industry sectors. Having looked at it, it's certainly a start," she said.
"I think what will need to be done on a more in-depth level is reviewing the exact impact on local businesses to see the reality of what level of support they require.
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"I am glad they acted as quickly as they did."
Ms Teig said the Victorian government needed to be prepared to support businesses should another lockdown occur.
"There's a real awareness of the impact of snap lockdowns. The reality is with the state of the virus and the way that it moves, until such time as the vaccine takes real effect there may be a potential for snap lockdowns. I think the government needs to be across what is truly required to help businesses," she said.
"It's up to all of us to go out there and support local businesses, shop, eat, drink and support them all."
Accommodation providers will be eligible for $2250 or $4500 depending on whether they had more than ten bookings to cancel during the lockdown.
The Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund will give previous recipients of the grant an automatic one-off $3,000 per premises payment.
The Business Costs Assistance Program will offer $2000 for eligible employing and non-employing businesses in the hospitality, food wholesaling, tourism, events and selected retail industries that have an annual payroll of under three million dollars.
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