Façade grants allocated – more grants available

Ararat Rural City Council has allocated more than $55,000 to 20 local businesses to help improve their facades.

Due to the success of the program, CEO Dr Tim Harrison said Council is now offering extra grants under the same funding round.

“Council was really happy to see how many local businesses were keen to improve their shop fronts by applying for the grants,” he said.

“We still have some funding available in this first round of the grant scheme, and would welcome any other businesses – especially those in our rural areas – to apply.”

Dr Harrison said the grants awarded to the 20 businesses ranged from $300 to $5000 and were for works including signage updates, painting, cleaning and the removal of old hoardings.

“It will be exciting to watch the transformation in these facades as the works progress,” he said.

The program awards grants on a dollar-for-dollar basis with the aim to help business operators refresh and update their shop fronts and improve the overall look of a town’s shopping precinct.

Dr Harrison said any business with a street frontage in a commercial area of a town within Ararat Rural City is eligible for the grants, which will provide up to $5000 on a $1:1 basis.

Work that can be completed under the program includes:

Painting the façade; Cleaning the façade; Removal of redundant signage, air conditioning units or hoardings; Minor repairs, maintenance or reinstatement of missing elements; Minor repairs to structural façade elements and awnings; New, repairs and replacements of verandahs; Installation of new signage; and, Installation of store lighting visible from the street.

Applications for the extra grants will be open until Wednesday 12 February 2020. For full details including guidelines and an application form, visit the Council’s website – www.ararat.vic.gov.au/figs

The successful businesses in the first round of grants were:

ACE Radio / Mixx FM Boyd’s Body Works Grano and McCarthy Jerram’s Auto Pro Ararat Laundry (Pinnacle) Dollar Curtains and Blinds Elders Grampians Insurance Brokers Harris Automotive Hotondo Homes J & M Hughan Nursery Mountainside Wines ONE Office National Pinnacle – main office Something Beautiful Tasty Bird Three Blooms Toyz on Barkly Treasure Hunter’s Hall Two Tags