Victoria’s Kingston Council has announced it will continue to waive costs for approved Outdoor Dining and Footpath Trading permits and Dining Pop-Up Licences, until 30 November, as the state is plunged further into a new COVID-19 outbreak.
Since Outdoor Dining fees were waived last October to help businesses with COVID-19 recovery efforts, the City of Kingston has provided streamlined support and approvals for:
- 50 new footpath activity permits;
- 22 expanded footpath activity permits;
- Permits for 10 parklets (with contributions of up to $5,000 for the installation of safety infrastructure funded through the Victorian Government’s ‘Local Councils Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Package’), and
- Permits for 10 outdoor dining pop-up events.
Kingston Mayor, Steve Staikos said the waived permit fees had been extended by an extra four months and were now valid until the end of November.
“We are happy to continue waiving these fees to further support businesses wherever possible, to get them through the pandemic,” said Mayor Staikos.
“Many of the outdoor dining permits provided by Council are relatively straightforward, and businesses have been contacted about how they can continue, but there are a few that require a bit more time and investigation, to ensure we get it right.”
He said one of the areas under investigation was the ongoing provision of ‘parklets’ to hospitality businesses.
“The Department of Transport is responsible for providing approvals on the provision of these spaces. Council has submitted the necessary paperwork for these approvals, with a slight reduction in numbers,” the Mayor said.
“Council has received feedback from a number of community members, who have raised concerns that in some suburbs, outdoor dining parklets have resulted in a shortage of car parking spaces.
“We understand that we need to get the balance right, by listening to our community, whilst doing whatever we can to support local businesses.”
Victoria has today recorded 57 new locally-acquired cases – with 44 quarantined while infectious. Contract tracers have so far linked 54 of the cases to the state’s outbreak.
Vic Health says it is increasingly concerned by the number of mystery cases being found in St Kilda, in Melbourne’s inner south-east.
