Council
16 April, 2025
Change approved for council funding stream
CORANGAMITE Shire Council will be making a temporary change to its Business Assistance Scheme (BAS) to benefit Port Campbell after councillors voted to approve two applications and change stream one of the funding at last month’s council meeting.
Stream one of the BAS covers business facade improvement, which includes works to improve the street frontage of stores.
In a report presented to councillors, coordinator wellbeing economy Samantha Fox said the alteration to the stream aims to support Port Campbell businesses as the Port Campbell Town Centre project nears completion.
Proposed variations to the funding stream include:
Removal of $1 for $1 contribution requirement, with applicants not being required to fund the works upfront and enabling any combination of landscaping and physical infrastructure works;
A time limit for applications from March to June 2025;
A focus on Port Campbell businesses with a visible street frontage in line with existing BAS requirements, and
To ensure timely response to businesses, and to link in with finishing works in the Port Campbell streetscape project, it is proposed to delegate the decision making on applications under this variation to the chief executive officer and report applications back to council for noting in July 2025.
Councillors voted to cap contributions for businesses at $5000, which differed from the report’s contribution options of a maximum council contribution of $3500 in line with the existing council BAS Stream one maximum contribution, or contributions up to maximum of $7000.
Two applications, seeking a total of $5464.55 in funding, were also approved by council.
Milk and Honey Timboon received a grant of $2207.28 to improve safety and enhance the visual amenity of the second entrance, including the waiving of a planning fee at a cost of $1465.60 to council.
Lakes and Craters Band Camperdown Inc was granted $1050 to fund the development of a new website and training for group members to allow them to self-manage content and ongoing updates.
Cr Ruth Gstrein said, while there was a focus on Port Campbell for the alteration, funds were still available under the BAS with $79,055 remaining in the budget.
“We know it’s been a long hard slog for them over the last nine months or so, and it’s quite interesting that the business façade stream actually came about as a result of the streetscape works in Terang many years ago,” she said.
“When the works were finished, and we looked back at the shop facades and we thought now we need to start supporting businesses, so they can upgrade their facades and make the best use out of what the new streetscape was offering.
“It certainly made a big difference and that’s been run throughout the shire now for a number of years, and this new business assistance scheme has replaced that.
“There might be other businesses out there right throughout Corangamite Shire who, unfortunately, won’t get the variation because it’s limited to Port Campbell but can certainly look at applying to that scheme to have their facades improved.”
Read More: local