Guy Grossi’s plea to save Melbourne CBD restaurants

Melbourne City Lord Mayor Sally Capp recently met with Daniel Andrews to discuss projects that could help bring people back into the CBD in a safe way, when the time is right.

The aim is to explore projects that could create jobs and offer relief for struggling businesses.

Ms Capp said many businesses are fighting to stay afloat and help will be needed for city  businesses to recover and return to what will be a COVID-normal situation.

Figures show a 10.3% reduction in Inner Melbourne jobs between March- August, making this Australia’s worst affected area.

“It’s empty,” Ms Capp said about the city.

“We are on our knees and we have to find ways to bring customers and clients back to city businesses.

“They need to feel like there is a light at the end of this COVID tunnel and they deserve it.”

Even though she wasn’t able to give a timeline, Ms Capp stated she and Mr Andrews agreed that it was an urgent matter. 

“This is a top priority for him. It is a top priority for me.” 

A high-powered advisory board was formed by Ms Capp, including Lindsay Fox, to develop ideas  and projects to get the city back on track once it is safe to do so. 

Meanwhile, renowned restaurateurs Guy Grossi and Liz Grossi Rodriguez have written an open letter to Victorians in an effort to save Melbourne’s restaurants and other businesses affected by this stage 4 lockdown. 

In their letter, they are requesting a co-ordinated approach to try and solve both the health and economic crisis caused by the pandemic.

The letter reads:

August 2020

Dear All,

Business is the back bone of Australia. Business big and small.

An ongoing unilateral approach to managing the COVID crisis, has broken the Australian backbone.

It is obvious that the virus will not disappear in September or October or November. We don’t know when the virus will be over, if ever at all.

It is time to manage the multiple facets of this crisis simultaneously.

A State of Emergency may very well have been necessary in the immediate response to a pandemic. Controlling the spread of infection to a size that current infrastructure could manage to limit tragic, untimely death and suffering.

As part of such a response immeasurable personal sacrifices have been made by the community.

However, resorting to a long term extension of a State of Emergency, despite new cases decreasing, ‘in case’ the government wishes to impose further lock downs or restrictions, raises significant concern as to the preparedness to manage and control spikes in infection and a lack of consideration of the consequences and further aspects of harm due to combating this crisis unilaterally.

COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus which has caused a global pandemic. But the COVID CRISIS is much more than that.

The COVID crisis will be with us for generations to come. It will live beyond any eradication, vaccine, cure or herd immunity of the disease, depending on what you believe to be the best management plan.

The COVID crisis includes the pandemic itself from an immediate health perspective but also includes the impacts we will be suffering and causal effects of the decisions made right now in its response.

This is a crisis of long term physical health consequences, mental health conditions, long term behavioural abnormalities, long term financial consequences, poverty, homelessness, educational impact, loss of intellectual capital, long term unemployment, depravation of quality of life, increases in inequality, lack of ability to innovate, lack of ability to provide for those most in need, reduction in the ability to maintain quality essential services.

No crisis or emergency situation can be dealt with well if it is not dealt with from the multiple facets of the threat, damage or concern. Or without profound consideration of the consequences of every action.

Businesses, particularly small to medium enterprises which make up the vast majority of job providers, have been dealing with the effects of the pandemic (as everyone has) as well as having theirs and their employees, livelihoods destroyed due to a unilateral approach.

In good faith, businesses and their trusted employees complied. Sacrificing a lifetime (and in some cases, generations) of hard work and personal wellbeing. All while simultaneously dealing with their own personal encounters with the virus itself.

The Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 only allows a State of Emergency to operate for six months.

Disregarding democratic intent and democratic safeguarding of the act by extending a state of emergency for 12 months, effectively demonstrates that there is no endgame plan in sight, we do not have the systems, skills, infrastructure or know how that we should have had or at least should have developed in the last six months, to manage this crisis in the best interest of the whole population.

Business owners and their employees are being disproportionately persecuted.

Owners of small to medium enterprise account for 93.8% of businesses. Further, small businesses account for 35% of Australia’s gross domestic profit and employ 44% of Australia’s workforce. (Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman 2019)

The very revenue that is crucial for investing in the health system, human resources, operational mechanisms, mental health system, education, etc for managing this crisis effectively, and the general wellbeing of the community and survival of the state is derived from the activity of business and the process of employing people.

This resource can no longer be under threat. Business can no longer be the subject of pervasive legislation. It can no longer be vilified and it can no longer be ignored. Business owners and their employees are hardworking contributing members of the community and without this vital sector in operation the vital resources needed to have a functioning community let alone manage any crisis, will be non-existent.

The COVID disease is a tragedy that has befallen the globe.

It has tested our resources, capabilities and our decision making.

This is not a time for rigidness in our approach without consideration of multiple facets of a crisis which is clearly resulting in loss of basic freedoms and rights, long term unemployment, misery, violation of basic human needs and tragically – loss of life.

What we face is frightening. Our community desperately needs the contribution of the greatest intellectual capital and practitioner experience to guide us to safety now and in the long term with depth of consideration of the whole picture.

For the sake of all Victorians, will you contribute your expertise and influence to a long term equitable solution to this crisis through any reasonable means.

Sincerely,

Guy Grossi

Liz Grossi Rodriguez GAICD

Grossi Restaurants