Did you know many small businesses in Lane Cove aren’t eligible for Covid-19 relief?

**UPDATE Sunday 18 July**: The NSW Government has announced a range of new grants and support for businesses. There are new grants available for micro-businesses and sole traders. Find out more about what is on offer on their website.

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I am concerned that many Lane Cove sole traders and small businesses might fall through the cracks of current Covid-19 relief measures.

The NSW Government announced this week that businesses will be able to apply for grant support via Service NSW.

Grants are only given to businesses that have been operating for over a year, with more than $75,000 in turnover.

This eligibility criteria excludes many creative sector sole businesses, like:

• sound and lighting technicians

• media producers

• marketers and photographers

• creative professionals

It also excludes many sole trading service providers, like:

• hairdressers

• massage therapists

• fitness instructors

• florists

• caterers

• designers

It will also exclude people who might have had their businesses and income disrupted throughout the last year by previous lockdowns.

There is a petition out to NSW Parliament from Jess Scully, Deputy Mayor of the City of Sydney, asking for the government to lower the threshold.

I have signed the petition. Will you do it too?

Lane Cove Council and business support

It is one of the roles of local council to advocate for their community and their needs to other levels of government.

I was surprised to see that Lane Cove Council and our Mayor Pam Palmer weren’t signatories to the Local Government NSW (LGNSW) letter advocating for small business Covid-19 relief.

Our neighbouring Mayors at Hunters Hills Council and Ryde Council put their names to it. 70+ NSW local councils signed: Lane Cove didn’t?

See the full letter here with all the signatories

I would like to see Lane Cove Council do more to support businesses right now.

In the Cove has been doing fantastic work promoting the businesses open for takeaway. But why should this communications be outsourced?

As it stands, there is a Lane Cove Council online business directory that no one seems to know exists! Couldn’t this be updated to help local businesses right now?

There is little promotion of it or resourcing to keep it up to date or promoted. I am not sure what utility it serves? It also doesn’t appear on Google when you search for ‘Lane Cove small businesses’.

Try finding it on the terrible Lane Cove Council website… It’s next to impossible.

There are two issues here: a lack of proactive advocacy and also lacklustre council communications. If I was on council I would do my best to remedy these problems.

Are you a small business owner in Lane Cove or a Lane Cove local who has ideas for how our council could support you more? Let me know. Email bridgetforlanecove@gmail.com.