Victorian government’s $250M 7-day lockdown support

A $250.7 million Circuit Breaker Business Support Package will be handed down by the Victorian government to help Victorian businesses during this latest 7 day lockdown.

The support package, announced by Treasurer Tim Pallas and acting Premier James Merlino will target 90,000 businesses that have been affected by this snap lockdown.

 It is the first action of support since Jobkeeper ended.

Under this latest scheme, eligible small to medium sized businesses including restaurants, cafes and accommodation venues will receive grants of $2,500.

Grants of $3,500 will be given to eligible hospitality venues with a liquor licence and food certificate.

Acting Premier James Merlino said the package would assist businesses "pay the bills and maintain their workforce as best they can.

"This is a bigger and broader package than the one that we delivered through the lockdown, the circuit-breaker lockdown, back in February."

Mr Merlino and Mr Pallas also used the announcement to criticise the federal government over its lack of support, saying "Victorian workers deserve more".

"We asked multiple times [for] the federal government to support workers during this period, and the unrelenting answer has been no," Mr Merlino said.

"Victorian workers deserve more from the federal government, and I am beyond disappointed that the answer from the Prime Minister and from the Treasurer has been not to talk in further detail about the package.

"For the Prime Minister and the federal Treasurer to say 'no' is a disgrace and it should make every Victorian angry."

Irit Jackson, 31st May 2021