Latrobe Valley Express Thursday 9 April

TELEPHONE 0351354444

THURSDAY, 9 APRIL, 2020

23

www.latrobevalleyexpress.com.au

16

16

SHOWERS

MOSTLY SUNNY

$1.80 inc. GST

19

CLOUDY

MOSTLY SUNNY

PACKAGE BACKS LOCAL BUSINESS Council announces support measures

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK PAGE 10

: /

By MICHELLE SLATER

LATROBE City Council has announced an immediate shortterm emergency business and community support package in response to COVID-19 shutdowns. Council is also establishing a help desk for local businesses to call a support line to help navigate council assistance or any government links. Latrobe City councillors passed the package as a matter of urgent business at their April meeting on Monday. Mayor Dan Clancey encouraged local businesspeople to contact council. “These are dire times for the community,� Cr Clancey said at the meeting. “There will be help available, please contact us if you are struggling.� The new package comes with a raft of supports that include waiving fees and rent reductions for small to medium businesses, sporting clubs and community groups. It was designed in conjunction with councillors and Latrobe Valley traders groups with a report due at the end of June to see if more measures would still need to be rolled out. Traralgon Chamber of Commerce president Luke Henderson said he was pleased local traders could provide feedback on the measures.

$- "

/(7 2 85

,V 2U KD \RXU %XVLQ YH \RXU HVV RSHUD VWLOO RSHQ" WLRQV /(7 28 7R SODFH FKDQJH 5 5($ DQ DGYH '( G"

9nĂ?Ă“ n ÂŞÂťn ÂŞÂ n ߑåŽ nš‘Ý Ăťn nĂ“ Ă“ @ Ă— n ‘ššn n

ÂŞÂ n ߑåŽ nš‘ÝnĂ“Ăž @ Ă— Â‘ šn

* ' # ' * ( &

& &

AÂŚf 0o\ÂŤ Ă­fo 2oýâRÂŤÂŤÂšĂ˜ ÂŚfAÔÞ :Ôš b AÂŚf 0âAâÂ’ÂŤ RÂŤÂŤÂšĂ˜c

-Â?ÂŤÂŚo  ³ä„ „³ä ä

„

>CÄ?Ä?C

ÙńÎĭÄ?Ĺ–ŠĂ™ĂŽ C 2Ä­Ĺ–Ă | 2ĭ¡à à TCĂ€|Ä?Ĺ– ‘ÙÄ? >$ Ă€¡ĂŽŠ 6Â?

y

„

y y y

„

y

ÄĄÄš Ă™ ĭ²C

Ăˆ

2Ä­ -²Ă™ĂŽ4Ä?CÄ?Cà ŠĂ™ĂŽ 2Ä­j | ™åĚ¢ Â‚ÄťĹœĂ?

ooo&kl g[c\Yd] d]__g&[ ge&Ym' eg]

P> :K :IIHBGM> HI>G ;R F>GM

HGER Hd]Yk] [gflY[l LZe^l mk gf ?jY]e] % (,-1 **( )-( Ikhi^km EYjfa] r FZgZ`^f^g m lg Zgg -)*/ *,,, c Yf Yhh gafle]f l lg\Y .*+0 . *+0 q K`gh -$ +--):

(*(* " " * * # & !

$ * &) &

„

40 0 40" 00 4

VHHPHQ W LQ

!$/: " :0

9 <$ " < 4/

0 2 02 4

$--$/2 2 $" 4" /oĂ˜ -Ԓ¥AÔÞ ÂŤĂ­Ă”\oĂ˜ Â’ÂŚ\› 2<

ÂŞÂĽĂĄ@[ĂĄ

ÂŞÂĽĂĄ@[ĂĄĂ— 3Ă— |ÂŞĂ“ !ÂŞ ÂŞÂĽ €²Ê nš‘ÝnĂ“Ăžzz Ăœ ²Œã ƒ

$Ă­Ă” Ă”oâA’› ÂłĂœÂ„Â‘Âł ÂŚoÔÞ ߒ›› Ă”oÂĄAÂ’ĂœĂ? ÂŤÂĄÂĄoĂ”\Â’AĂ˜Â?ÂŤÂź Aâ ÂŚ ÂŤÂźoÂŚ 팛oĂ˜Ă˜ › /ÂŤAf !Ôß âÂ?oÔß Â’Ă˜o Â’ÂŚĂ˜âÔí o›› \âof

@[ĂĄĂ—Ă— 3 ÂŞĂ“ @[ĂĄ Ă— |ÂŞ Ă“ nš‘ÝnĂ“ € ĂŠ €² Ă“ ĂŠĂœ ²Œ n ĂŁÂƒ ĂŁÂƒ

56 .1

UWLVHPHQ W

2: LQ ´:( $5( 23(1 ¾ FRQWDFW WKH ([SUHVV RQ

9nĂ?Ă“n ÂŞÂťnÂĽ

@n[ÂŞ Ă“nĂĄĂĄ Ă“nĂĄĂĄ eĂź@Ă“e eĂź@ Ă“eĂ—Ă—

"

< <

0

02

$" " 2 2< ›ííf foobb fo

*

:ÔšRÂŤÂŤ ÂšÂšĂ˜Ă˜c âÂ’ÂŤÂŤÂŚoÔÞ Þ

Aââ

WHAT’S OPEN IN THE Ùń> ĂŽC LATROBE ‘Ù2Ă™ĭ¡Ä?¡à à >$TCC6 VALLEY 00 Eggj] ?jY]e ] QYd\]f j Kl$ Eg] (,-1 **( )-(

% Hjaf[ah Yd'KYd] k

: 3/ 1// I ! ! !

. . , , , , . ./ . ./

Z !nĂź !nnĂź !n Ăź @Ă“ @Ă“Ă“ ªª™ ÂŞ /nĂ“Ăť Z nÂĽ n nÂĽn nÂĽnnĂ“Ă“Ă“@š nÂĽ /nnĂ“Ăť /nĂ“ /n nÓÓݑ[‘¼… @š /nnĂ“ ‘‘[[[‘¼… nÓݑ[ ‘ ݑ[n Z ‘[n I 1ĂŹÂĽn ‘@Â…/nĂ“Ăť 1ĂŹÂĽn 1ĂŹ ÂĽn 3× ¼ª×å‘ ÂĽÂŞÂŞĂ— ÂŞĂ—ĂĄ ××å‘å‘[Ă— ĂĄ [Ă— ĂŹÂĽ Z /ĂŹĂ—Âť ĂŹĂ—Âťn Ă—ÂťnÂĽ .nn@@‘Ó× .nÂť . n¼×‘ nÂĽĂ— n¼×‘ª ¼×‘ ÂĽĂ— ¼×‘ª Ă— ÂĽ Z I .nÂť@ Z ýŽ@ĂŹĂ—ĂĄĂ— ‘Ó× ĂŹĂ— ĂŹĂ—ĂĄ Ă“ Ă“@™ Ă—ĂĄĂĄĂ— Ă—ĂĄĂ— Ă“@™™n ĂĄĂ— Z ÂĽĂ— ™nĂ— n

Aff !ÂŤ !Ôß Ăźo››› Ăźo ĂźÂ’Ă˜ ߒ Â’Ă˜o Â’ÂŚĂ˜ Â’Ă˜o Â’Ă˜ ÂŚĂ˜â ÂŚĂ˜

Ă˜âĂ” âÔí âÔÔí\ Ă­\â Ă­\\\âo \âââoof

„³³ääää

(*( * *

9nše 9nše‘ 9 Ă— e‘¼… e‘¼ ‘¼… ‘¼… ‘¼ ÂĽÂ… Z /Âť@Ă“ /@ Âť@@Ă“Ă“nĂ— ½Ä„ĂŁ Ä„ã㞞 €²Ênše‘¼ n Ă› ĂœÂƒÂƒĂŁĂŁĂŁĂŁ Ă— ÂƒĂœ @ÂĽÂ… ÂĽÂ…|ÂŞ Â…|ÂŞĂ“ ||ÂŞĂ“ee //ĂĄ /ĂĄĂ ĂĄĂ ĂĄ ÂŞÂŞnn ßßß ßß ßß ßß

à  @n  @@n[ª  @n @n[ª @n nn[[[ª [ªà [ ª ª à @ Ï

„

„

y

„

y y y

„

y

ÄĄ ÄĄÄš

PAGES 17-19 However, he warned that more time would be needed to understand the impact on businesses in the next few months. “It’s extremely difficult for businesses to continue to trade, some have been forced to close, but there are inspirational stories of how some people are continuing to trade,� Mr Henderson told The Express. “This is testament to the local area how strong our businesses are, the community is supporting local people and this great as they are continuing to do what they can.� The package’s key points include

refunding permit charges for street trading and outdoor dining establishments from March 1 to June 30. It will provide rent reductions for cafe and restaurants operating out of council owned buildings until in-house dining bans are lifted. Rent and fees will be waived for sporting clubs using council facilities through winter, and rent will be suspended for community groups that use council facilities from March 1 to June 30. Latrobe City will develop a COVID-19 Financial Hardship Policy for to consider hardship

circumstances for rates, fines and fees on investment and commercial properties. Cr Dale Harriman said the package would help more than 680 local businesses and nearly 100 sporting clubs. “We understand it’s starting to hurt. While this doesn’t do everything, it’s a first stage. We had to move fairly quickly to come up with something and we believe this hits the spot of a number of issues,� Cr Harriman said. “This is something every councillor has worked on and had a hand into as a major issue that taken up a lot of councillors’ time.�

New digital edition of The Express online at www.latrobevalleyexpress.com.au

Business as usual at

Choices Flooring by Paull’s

,V 2U KD \RXU % YH \RX U

: /

SIDDLE IN HOLDING PATTERN SPORT

If you’re in need of a shed quote ty Best Quali e Best Pric e Besst Advic

GP1605959

21 GEORGE STREET, MORWELL 3840

send us an Email or give us a call. traralgon@ traralgon @eurekagarages.com.au

188 Argyle St Traralgon.

Garages & Sheds PHONE: 5174 5311