Update from Mount Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board | 3 July 2020 Update from Mount Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board – 3 July 2020Dear stakeholder, Please see the information below about:
Travellers from restricted postcodes As announced on Tuesday 30 June 2020, 10 specific postcodes in Victoria have changed restrictions. Under these new restrictions, there are only four reasons that residents in those postcodes can leave home: shopping for food and essential items; to provide caregiving or seek medical treatment; for exercise; to work or study if you cannot work or study from home. People are asked to pay attention to the directions and do the right thing and remain in their postcode and not travel further than they need to. Victoria Police will be doing spot checks at the entry to the resort and throughout Mt Hotham to ensure compliance with the directions. In line with our Resort Entry refund policy this season and in response to the Victorian Government public health measures in place, Mount Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board will provide a full refund on any unused Resort Entry permit for travellers from those postcodes. Please share this information with any guests from those 10 postcodes who have had to cancel their visit to Hotham. The process for requesting a refund is to send an email to info@mthotham.com.au. As per our policy to date this season, refunds will only be provided for unused Resort Entry permits. Visit www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au for up-to-date information. Victorian Government grants for regional accommodation businesses We are pleased to let you know that the Victorian Government is backing regional accommodation businesses affected by recently changed restrictions in some metropolitan suburbs, with a fund to assist operators who will lose income due to cancelled bookings. More than 300,000 Melburnians living in 10 postcodes have had changes to their restrictions until at least 11.59pm on 29 July, meaning many will be cancelling holidays they had previously booked at locations across the state. This may impact accommodation businesses at Mt Hotham. Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Martin Pakula announced that payments from a $5 million fund would be made available to regional businesses including motels, caravan parks and short-term rentals such as Airbnb properties that could demonstrate losses due to the new restrictions required to slow the spread of coronavirus. Payments of up to $225 per cancelled booked night will be paid, with conditions including that full refunds are provided and no cancellation fees are levied. MHARMB has confirmed that businesses in Alpine Resorts are included in the eligibility for this grant funding. Accommodation businesses in 48 regional local government areas and other regional areas including Victoria's six alpine resorts will be covered for eligible bookings that were received from the restricted postcodes: 3038, 3064, 3047, 3060, 3012, 3032, 3055, 3042, 3021, 3046 by 3pm on 30 June for the period 1 July to 29 July. The $5 million support for regional accommodation businesses follows confirmation of one-off $5,000 payments that will be made available for eligible businesses in the 10 restricted postcode areas. Businesses that have received payroll tax refunds and waivers or $10,000 Business Support Fund grants are eligible for the further $5,000 grants. Businesses can register their interest for the $5,000 grant and the regional accommodation support fund from today at https://www.business.vic.gov.au/support-for-your-business/grants-and-assistance/tourism-accommodation-support-program. Applications will open on 13 July 2020. |