Moyne Shire Council offers advisors for at-risk businesses emerging from pandemic lockdown

Moyne Shire Council has arranged a team of advisors to assist business owners in making informed decisions on how to rebuild.

Mayor Daniel Meade said stay-at-home restrictions during the pandemic had affected all businesses and the council was now looking at how the shire would recover.

The help will target at-risk businesses, particularly in the shire's hospitality, tourism, retail and accommodation sectors.

"(They) have been hit hard and need support, both in the immediate term through grants and other entitlements, as well as longer-term business modelling and strategic planning," Cr Meade said.

He said the advice team was made up of council officers and local business expertise. The council hopes to expand the assistance if it receives state government support.

"In the coming weeks as a part of this there is going to be a business forum where people can tune into an online space and ask questions of the council and the economic development committee," Cr Meade said.

Council economic development director Brett Davis said it would help businesses navigate what support they were eligible for and help them think creatively about recovering.

"This will be a limited trial to begin with for council to help selected high-risk businesses understand what support is available, and how to use this 'shutdown' period as a time to rethink and adapt their business model," he said.

The council will also facilitate training and upskilling programs in co-operation with agencies including South West TAFE, Deakin University, Small Business Victoria and Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism.

Port Fairy-based Bamstone Steel owner Michael Steel welcomed the support.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has affected local business beyond anything we could have predicted,"he said.

"As a community we must support our local businesses where we can, not just for the individual business owners, but for their employees, their local suppliers, and the whole economic future of the shire."

Cr Meade sad the shire's agricultural sector was cautiously optimistic but sectors linked with tourism needed a long-term plan.

"It's believed the international borders will be closed for sometime, and there will be a lot more regional tourism, which will mean when the time is right and metropolitan areas might come down to Port Fairy and Peterborough more than otherwise.

"My opinion is that we are positioned well here in Moyne due to our locality ... we are fortunate to be in a fairly safe seasonal climate for agriculture."

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