The NSW Government is offering a one-off $5,000 payment to small- and medium-sized food and beverage businesses looking to create or expand their outside dining spaces.
But there are only 5,000 Alfresco Restart Rebates available to businesses that will be issued on a first come, first served basis.
There are two steps to apply for a rebate – first, businesses must register to confirm that they are eligible on the Service NSW website.
To be eligible, a business must be a small or medium food and beverage business, defined by an eligible ANZSIC code, be physically operating in NSW, and have an aggregated annual turnover less than $10 million (inclusive) for the year ended 30 June 2021. To register, they must have a MyServiceNSW account, proof of ID and a valid ABN.
Business must also have incurred, or will incur prior to 30 September, eligible costs and expenses, such as the installation of surfaces, traffic barriers, and outdoor lights and heaters.
Secondly, businesses that have successfully registered can claim their rebate for expenses incurred between 14 October 2021 to 30 September 2022. Claims must be made by this Friday, 30 September.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet commented on the rebate program, saying that it would help to reinvigorate the state’s communities and dining centres.
“After a cold winter and now that spring is here, the NSW Government’s broader $66 million Alfresco Restart package is helping to boost local hospitality and ensure customers can enjoy new outdoor dining experiences at some of their favourite venues,” Perrottet said.
“Whether you’re a café in Western Sydney, a restaurant on the Northern Beaches or a pub on the Central Coast, this is about giving businesses and customers more choice and convenience.”
Speaking on Sunday, Victor Dominello, Minister for Small Business, said that of the 5,000 rebates first released, around 900 remain available.
“This program will help businesses to bounce back from two years of interruption caused by the pandemic by reducing the cost of dining transformation,” Dominello said.
“It is great to see so many businesses having already registered for the rebate program but there is still space available for more looking to go alfresco.”
The rebate program is part of a larger series of NSW Government initiatives taking place this spring and summer.
These include the Festival of Place, where streets will be revived with art installations, events and laneway cinemas. Within this festival will be another series of programs, including Long Summer Nights, Streets as Shared Spaces, Summer Night Fund, and Open Streets.
Additionally, the NSW Government has also announced that it will make changes to planning rules to make it easier for pubs and small bars to introduce outdoor dining spaces, and have extended the outdoor dining permit waiver.
Apply for a rebate here, or read more about the Alfresco Restart Package here.
Seamus May
