NSW government offers $100K to late night hospo traders during the Vivid Sydney festival
The NSW government announced last week that it would pay a combined total of $100,000 to 12 bars and restaurants near Circular Quay to cover any additional goods and labour costs associated with late night trading during the Vivid Sydney festival so attendees would have somewhere to go late at night.
The restaurants receiving the funding must stay open during the festival until at least midnight, and the bars until at least 2am, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
Michael Rodrigues, the government’s 24-Hour Economy Commissioner said the program is “recognising that restaurants need some support as they get back on their feet and a good time to do it is during Vivid when we know what people are going to be out.”
According to Mr Rodrigues it was too early to establish whether the program was working, but it would be evaluated after the festival.
According to a spokeswoman for Investment Minister Stuart Ayres, the total funding pool of the pilot program was $100,000, with funds paid to each business in two instalments.
“This additional financial resource was provided to secure late trading for businesses to continue to serve customers during Vivid Sydney, with the purpose to help hospitality businesses overcome major barriers to trade later during the festival,” they said.
Fraser Short, a Sydney publican who did not have venues in the program, said the program made sense because the hospitality industry was suffering.
“Nobody coming out of COVID’s got any spare money. The suggestion that someone should just stay open and take a hit for free is a little bit crazy,” he said. “At the end of the day if you want an active city you need to prove to the operators that there will actually be people.”
Irit Jackson, 14th June 2022
