Taking it outdoors

GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS... Local brewers, from left, Rhys Porter and James Thomson at Wild Life Brewing on Maude Street, Shepparton mix with pleased customer, Tye Dixon, as they start to develop their alfresco dining capabilities. Photo: Steve Hutcheson.
GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS… Local brewers, from left, Rhys Porter and James Thomson at Wild Life Brewing on Maude Street, Shepparton mix with pleased customer, Tye Dixon, as they start to develop their alfresco dining capabilities. Photo: Steve Hutcheson.

WITH summer on the way and the fact the Goulburn Valley has some of the best weather in the world, the prospect of some of our businesses opening up to alfresco dining comes as a welcome relief for many business owners who have been hard hit by the pandemic.

That being said, there a still a number of hurdles these small businesses will have to overcome, largely with managing their resources in expanding their dining capabilities.

There are the chairs and tables to purchase, umbrellas to provide shade where it is not available, outdoor heating if it becomes necessary and barriers to separate passing traffic from diners.

Then there are the additional requirements such as meeting council requirements, upgrading insurance policies, making everything COVIDSafe to name a few extra expenses.

The Victorian Government is providing a $3B package to assist small businesses overcome some of these restrictions in addition to making changes to regulatory requirements that will make it easier for companies to comply.

Shepparton has had a small semblance of outdoor dining taking shape for some time. However, with these changes, the streets are likely to see a major transformation over coming months.

It is unfortunate that the works in the Maude Street mall have yet to transform that part of the CBD as it is an ideal plaza for outdoor entertainment without the restrictions that the limited space of footpath dining might impose.

Greater Shepparton City Council have issued revised application requirements for businesses to obtain an outdoor dining permit. The major consideration will be to fast track any application through planning and local bylaws. In addition, application fees will be waived. All other requirements will still be necessary.

The next requirement will be for the general public to adapt to a newer alfresco atmosphere around the city, and look towards more dining out or just taking a coffee and a pastry at one of the venues.