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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 10 Hansard (25 September) . . Page.. 3316 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

The ACT Government has set aside a total of $500,000 to enable local shopping centres to access funds to progress and develop their centres. This comprises $300,000 from the Jobs Fund and $200,000 from the Department of Urban Services' Local Centres Capital Works Program. This fund builds on the 1996-97 helpShop initiative included as part of the government's Retail Policy.

This is a new Fund that will allow centre traders to access money to improve the viability of their centres in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive business environment, through improvements in local centre appearance and/or business management.

The Fund will assist in sustaining these centres, maintaining their associated employment and related community services. There will also be a number of immediate jobs associated with the construction work at the local centres.

Mr Speaker, after the helpShop fund budget allocation was announced, helpShop then revisited the 65 local shopping centres to advise of the indicative helpShop fund allocation. These shopping centres were encouraged to call a meeting of traders to discuss the helpShop fund and projects that they felt would be of benefit to their local centre. It was stressed to all traders that the helpShop fund allocation was an indicative list and that it was important for traders, landlords and the community to decide, as a group, what they wanted to achieve. They were invited to submit written requests on behalf of their centre.

Three seminars were coordinated by helpShop and delivered by the University of Canberra on 12 May, 4 June and 18 June 1997. These seminars, "Small Business - The Challenges Ahead", were well attended by over 120 traders and landlords from local shopping centres. The seminars provided information on marketing and design to assist traders and landlords with ideas for improving their local shopping centres, as well as information on how to seek funds from the helpShop fund. HelpShop was also represented in the "Partners in Progress" seminar series held in Canberra on 15 and 29 July 1997 at which there were some 400 people in attendance.

HelpShop has continued to work intensively with local shopping centres to help formulate projects and to look at ways of remarketing and revitalising local shopping centres. On Tuesday, 23 September, helpShop commenced distributing a formal package of information to local centres to finalise applications for the helpShop fund. A total of 14 local centres have already responded to helpShop seeking funding. This helpShop process has provided the opportunity for local shopping centre traders, landlords and the community to come together to discuss projects to revitalise and remarket their local centres. Some of these projects include replacing seating, bins, refurbishing garden beds, installing additional lighting, new signage, et cetera. A number of local shopping centres have also started to plan community fun days to bring their local communities to their shopping centre.

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