150 vouchers for CBD diners new city attractions to boost recovery

Diners in downtown Melbourne will be able to claim vouchers worth up to $150 as part of a $44 million package to support the recovery of CBD businesses.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp announced the $5 million voucher scheme on Sunday morning.

The government said the arrangement would allow diners to claim up to 30 per cent off their bill up from the 20 per cent offered in a similar scheme in the middle of this year.

More than 200,000 rebates would be offered for customers who dined at restaurants, cafes and bars in the City of Melbourne on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The new funding announced on Sunday will include $15.7 million to boost the city’s events with an expanded Christmas Festival two weeks early than usual.

That festival will include a carnival at Birrarung Marr, floating art installations on the Yarra, a maze at Docklands, a night market at Queen Victoria Market and an outdoor cinema in Carlton.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (left) with Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp and Tourism Minister Martin PakulaCredit:Luis Ascui

The $44 million package is the first tranche of initiatives under a wider $200 million joint state and council fund aimed at revitalising the city.

Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp said she was “encouraged” by the number of people in the CBD, with pedestrian data showing that usual foot traffic in the city on the Melbourne Cup long weekend was at 80 per cent of previous years before the pandemic.

“Christmas is a time for our local traders to make up for what has been the toughest trading period for them,” she said at a press conference on Sunday morning.

“It is important that all of these initiatives are aimed at making sure we’re generating economic value for our local traders.

Vaccinated Melburnians eat out again as the city reopens.Credit:Getty

“[The voucher scheme] has been very successful, the data shows it made the foot traffic increase three times faster than in previous bounce backs.”

Cr Capp encouraged Victorians to get their second vaccination dose so the state could reach its next milestone of 90 per cent fully-vaccinated

At that point masks would no longer be required in offices which Cr Capp said was a major deterrent to workers returning to the city.

Tourism and Major Events Minister Martin Pakula said the return of theatre shows such as Frozen and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child would “turbo-charge” the city’s return after lockdown six, and there was “great cause for optimism”.

1173 new cases

The announcement came as Victoria recorded 1173 new coronavirus cases and nine deaths on Sunday morning, with the peak pharmacy body suggesting Australians will be receiving vaccination boosters for years to come.

Victoria’s Department of Health said over 83 per cent of eligible Victorians were now fully vaccinated, with Australia reaching the vaccination milestone of 80 per cent of those over 16 years old double-jabbed yesterday.

There are now 568 people in hospital across the state, with 96 in intensive care and 63 on ventilators.

More than 56,600 test results were returned across Saturday, with 13,913 vaccination doses administered in state-run centres.

Victoria now has 16,413 active cases of the virus. The average age of Australians in an intensive care unit (ICU) due to COVID-19 has dropped significantly, with the median age now sitting at 53 years.

During the first wave of infections in early 2020 the median age was 64.

“The question is what booster and what interval we need to get that booster, whether its every six, nine or 12 months. Those decisions need to be based on evidence and facts and at the moment that is an evolving space,” he said.

Mr Twomey added “it will probably take until 2023 until we reach some sort of steady state vaccination program” that would involve one annual booster shot for the population, much as the flu shot has become annual.

“In time we will treat COVID like many other viruses that have been around for decades, and a COVID-19 shot will just be another element of the Australian vaccination program.”

More to come.

James Massola is political correspondent for the Sun-Herald & Sunday Age. He won the Kennedy award for Outstanding Foreign Correspondent while posted in Jakarta and wrote The Great Cave Rescue. He was previously chief political correspondent.Connect via Twitter, Facebook or email.

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