COVID-19 and Docklands businesses

COVID-19 and Docklands businesses

By Shane Wylie - Docklands Chamber of Commerce

What a tumultuous time. Docklands isn’t faring any worse, or for that matter any better than the rest of Melbourne.

Six weeks ago, we were still contemplating having a beer down at Cargo with some sliders and a pizza, then we adapted to a takeaway offering and now we’ve seen most of the larger restaurants shut altogether.

In total, exactly 50 per cent of the Docklands Chamber of Commerce (DCC) members have closed or are in hibernation. Twenty-seven per cent have altered their trading to suit the conditions and 23 per cent have continued on with operations as normal. We think that’s a brilliant result.

Just these past few weeks we’ve seen glimmers of hope on the horizon.

Firstly, the biggest economic stimulus package in Australian history is already taking effect. Staff that were laid off can be seen in closed shops and restaurants, back on the books. While they might not be operating just yet, efforts in autumn cleaning, renovations and preparations can already be seen when we exit these restrictions.

Of course, as would be expected at times like this, we’ve also seen a rise in unacceptable behaviours. Most noticeable has been the increase in graffiti. We take an active stance against this and attempt to have it removed overnight in most cases, but if you see some then please report it to [email protected]. We’ve found the City of Melbourne to be extremely helpful and proactive during this time •

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