Melton City Council will remove Footpath Trading Permit fees from 1 July to give local businesses a boost.
While permits will still be required to ensure items placed on Council land conform with Disability Access Standards and Outdoor Trading Guidelines, the annual fee of $110 will be removed.
City of Melton Mayor Cr Goran Kesic said Council made the decision to remove the permit application fee to support local businesses and help boost the local economy.
“By using footpath space in front of their business, operators can attract more customers and strengthen their income stream,” Cr Kesic said.
“We’re doing what we can to help businesses generate more activity such as outdoor dining and boost the city’s economy as a whole.
“Once customers and patrons are already on the street, it encourages them to linger and browse for longer which can result in them spending more time and money in businesses than they otherwise might.
“To further encourage this activity, Council supported the removal of the Footpath Trading Permit application fee.”
Cr Kesic said the Footpath Trading Permit application process would continue to encourage responsible footpath trading through registration and compliance requirements.
