Victoria’s embattled hospitality industry is set to be given a $200m cash injection through a state government stimulus package.
The package will be hallmarked by a $100m voucher scheme that will give diners rebates for visiting venues across the city in another round of the Melbourne Money scheme.
The rebate can be used in the CBD from Monday to Thursday and will rebate 25 per cent of the dining bill if more than $40 is spent.
However, the maximum discount available is $125 on a $500 bill.
A similar $30m program will be expanded across the state’s regions and suburbs, with cashback available for food and winery visits.
Another $30m will be used to prop up the Victorian Travel Voucher Scheme in a bid to get locals to holiday within the state.
A total of 150,000 $200 vouchers are set to be issued for a $400 minimum spend on tourism and travel-related services.
Those looking to take in Melbourne’s entertainment sector can receive rebates to the collective tune of $30m.
This portion of the program will apply to tickets for the theatre, live music, cinemas, museums, exhibitions and galleries.
All of the vouchers are set to be available from mid to late March.
Industry Support and Recovery Minister Martin Pakula said the program was aimed at revitalising the state’s once booming hospitality and entertainment sectors.
“We’re encouraging Victorians to experience the best the state has to offer by going to see a show, having lunch with friends or visiting somewhere new,” he said.
Mr Pakula also detaxjmtzywiled that a section of the Victorian Travel Voucher Scheme offer would be reserved for older Victorians who might have missed out in previous rounds.
“Importantly, this time, 10,000 of those vouchers will be set aside and effectively pre-released under a separate process for seniors,” he said.
“They’ll be able to register online and go into a ballot rather than necessarily going into that process where they all get snapped up in a few minutes.”
Another $60m has been set aside for the Ventilation Voucher Program, which aims to help small businesses purchase equipment to help stop the spread of Covid.
More than $34.2m is aimed to place and pay workers in more than 1500 jobs across hospitality and tourism industries.
