Businesses turn backs on help

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
MARYSVILLE small business owners are turning their back on financial assistance from the Victorian Government.
They say the amount of red tape is not worth the battle, and have either chosen to “go it alone” to get their businesses running, or pack up and move out.
Although they welcome the government’s attempt to help, they say the finance company Rural Finance doesn’t have a criterion that works for people who have been in disaster situations.
Marysville Community Recovery Committee (MCRC) chairman Tony Thompson, who runs the Maryton Bed and Breakfast, said they were having problems with the economic side of trying to get things up and running again.
“The government has been good enough to back us, they handle the scheme and the paperwork, they give it to Rural Finance and that’s been the breakdown…they either need to loosen up or change the criteria,” he said.
“It was supposed to be made as easy as possible so people could get back on their feet, but these programs don’t fit disaster situations.”
Mr Thompson said although six Marysville businesses had successful applications for funding, four have thrown their applications in after two years.
“They fill in 20 pages of paperwork and three months later they’re (Rural Finance) still asking for paperwork to get a lazy $5000 for a shop and that’s just ridiculous,” he said.
But he also said business people wouldn’t speak out because they didn’t want to jeopardise pending applications.
Mr Thompson said many people only started rebuilding their houses a year after the fires but three years later they still can’t rebuild their businesses.
“Originally we were so happy to have the help in the beginning but now it’s so difficult it’s not funny,” he said.
A statement from Bushfire Minister Peter Ryan’s office said the Coalition Government acknowledged that documentation and a set of criteria was required by Rural Finance to support the application, as would be required with normal commercial loans.
Throughout Victoria 63 loans of between $50,000 and $500,000 have been approved under the original and extended schemes, with a further five offers approved but not yet accepted.
Thirty-six applications lodged before the end date of 31 December are still being processed.
The Bushfire Recovery Unit can be contacted on 1800 055 714 if people have key concerns they wish to raise with the government.