Community
5 July, 2024
Funds flow for Camperdown businesses
FOUR businesses are set to receive funding to better their facades through the June round of the Business Assistance Scheme (BAS).
Corangamite Shire Council voted to allocate $7550.91of funding at last week’s council meeting.
Of the four applications, three will have panning permit fees waived at a cost of $644.10 to council.
George Taylor Stores in Camperdown will receive $2882.50 for cleaning and repainting the store, with signage installation to the Manifold Street facing wall pending a planning permit.
Excuse Me Katie’s was granted $2000 for the installation of a mural on the highway-facing wall of the Manifold Street building, with a planning permit required.
Babche Timboon received $2181.48 to repaint their façade and deck and are awaiting a planning permit to install signage, which will include a lightbox sign above the door and signage on the south side of the building.
The only applicant to not require a permit, Pro Dairy Timboon will receive $486.93 to go towards repainting their façade and deck.
Councillor Geraldine Conheady encouraged businesses to continue applying for grants under BAS, with $29,296 remaining of the $50,000 budget.
“It’s just a better way of managing the way we have been funding our businesses, and it’s very exciting to be able to support local businesses with business façade improvements to be able to support the creative industries and any other form of community enterprise and enabling infrastructure,” she said.
“I know that the criteria are very particular and it’s these recipients of the support are very worthy, so I am pleased to see that happening.”
Councillor Ruth Gstrein said she mentioned the idea to a speaker at the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) planning conference, receiving a positive response.
“Councillor Beard and myself attended the MAV planning conference last week, and it was interesting that one of the speakers was a professor from the University of Tasmania who’s written a paper on what makes an ideal main street,” she said.
“She talked at length about shop facades and making shops as inviting as possible.
“I think that, discussing it with her afterwards, I was talking about our business assistance scheme and she just thought it was such a positive thing.
“I’d certainly encourage businesses next year, when a new budget’s allocated, to come in and have a talk to our economic development staff and see what they can to make their businesses grow.”