A new public service taskforce has been created to support restaurants, cafes and other businesses to utilise public outdoor spaces near their premises once lockdown ends.
Announced by Chief Minister, Andrew Barr, the Outdoor Activation Taskforce is to support businesses to temporarily shift some of their activities outdoors, where the risk of COVID-19 transmission is lower.
Minister for Business and Better Regulation, Tara Cheyne said the Taskforce would work to make the most of the opportunities that the Territory’s outdoor spaces presented.
“It’s important we do this in a way that supports local business owners to recover, while keeping Canberrans safe from the risks of COVID-19 by following the public health direction,” Ms Cheyne said.
“The new Taskforce will look for innovative ways to open up outdoor public space for venues, so that we can continue to help business to safely return to hosting customers,” she said.
“Venues will have capacity limits after lockdown ends; so, moving to an outdoors setting is the safest and easiest way for businesses like restaurants, cafes and bars to begin to operate sooner as restrictions gradually ease.”
The Minister said the Taskforce would welcome businesses’ ideas on how to make the most of outdoor public spaces in ways that supported them and “we will work with them on making those ideas a reality”.
“This will be a staged, thoughtful process delivered as part of the ACT Pathway Forward,” she said.
Ms Cheyne encouraged all interested businesses to register with the Taskforce and bring forward their ideas in preparation for any initiatives that may be introduced in the coming weeks.
