Matthew Guy, David Southwick visit Elsternwick Village to announce $30m shopping strip recovery plan

Victorian Liberal Leader Matthew Guy and Liberal Member for Caulfield David Southwick visited the Elsternwick Village precinct today to meet with traders and announce a promise for funding, if elected.

A new $30 million Local Shopping Strip Recovery Plan was announced, which would be designed to help local shopping precincts in need of support to recover and rebuild.

The plan will provide grants of up to $500,000 for small businesses to develop priorities and plans to reinvigorate their local shopping precincts.

This could include things like encouraging pop-up shops to fill empty spaces, support for local activation events such as streets fairs, or beautification and practical improvements such as outdoor dining spaces, plantings, pocket parks, employing local mural artists and designers, lighting and footpath upgrades.

A special fund of up to $20,000 will be made for shopping precinct marketing and promotional campaigns.

Elsternwick Mainstreet Committee president Evan Crabtree said funding to support retailers would be very welcome, and would allow local businesses to recover and rebuild.

“Small businesses, such as retailers in the Elsternwick Village precinct, form the backbone of this community. Many of them are family-owned businesses that employ local workers and supply goods and services to local residents,” he said.

“This funding would allow businesses to thrive and keep contributing to our community in meaningful ways.”

Owner of Goat House Cafe Bar Restaurant Ougustus Edirisinghe said business has been tough over the past two years and any support would be helpful to attract customers so they could “come in and enjoy the venue again”.

At the press conference today, Mr Guy said it was important to “help small businesses to get back to their best”.

“We want business to thrive and our local shopping strips to hum once again, and that’s what our plan is all about,” he said.

Mr Southwick said the program would be a “big boost” to local jobs and employment.

“During lockdown, local shopping strips were often the only places where we could feel like a community. Our plan sets them up for a better, brighter future.”