APRIL 7, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
Special delivery Eynesbury residents got a very special delivery recently to help them through the coronavirus lockdown. With panic buying of toilet paper last month making supplies hard to come by, property developer Resimax Group ordered thousands of rolls and delivered them for free to locals’ doorsteps. Resimax founder Ozzie Kheir said they wanted to help in any way they could. “We wanted a way to help people through this, brighten their day and have a bit of cheeky fun with it,” Mr Kheir said. “A friend of mine works for a toilet paper company, so we were able to order it in bulk, and I got four pallet loads to distribute to the residents. “We just loaded them up in golf carts and delivered them to every home. “It’s amazing how much a pack of toilet paper can go to putting a smile on someone’s face. We had residents who’d missed out in the panic buying and were down to their last roll, so it was great to be there for them.” A total of 6000 rolls were delivered, and Mr Kheir said the company had more plans to help those in need in the community. Ewen McRae
Resimax Group founder Ozzie Kheir with the toilet paper they delivered recently. (Supplied)
Virus support on the way By Ewen McRae Melton and Moorabool councils have announced a rat of stimulus measures to help residents through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With social distancing measures placing a high strain on local businesses and residents, a wide range of measures have been implemented. Melton council has put discussions for their drat 2020/21 budget on hold for now, and mayor Lara Carli unveiled a series of support measures for various parts of the community. “As part of our upcoming drat budget deliberations, we will speciically look into relief
packages for our residents and businesses who have been impacted inancially,” Cr Carli said. “We’ve also dropped all fees and charges for sporting clubs and associations, refunded all community venue hire bookings during this time, and are reviewing how we can assist sporting clubs and associations that are experiencing inancial hardship. “Council is about to launch an Open for Business campaign to promote businesses that are still trading during this crisis. “We’re also ofering free membership to our Venture Melton Network where business can access free workshops and mentoring with vital advice and support.
“In addition, we’re going to waive renewal fees on a range of permits and defer rates for businesses experiencing hardship.” Other support measures for residents and businesses, including libraries and pet owners can be found at melton.vic.gov.au Moorabool council chief executive Derek Madden said they had adopted a targeted approach to the pandemic situation. “We are encouraging afected businesses and residents to contact council so we can put appropriate steps in place to support them during this challenging time … council has streamlined its inancial hardship process and has temporarily extended it to all rateable properties in the
Shire,” he said. “his will allow afected properties to either enter into lexible payment arrangements to suit their capacity to pay or place a hold on the payment of their rate accounts during this diicult time. “Council has also placed a temporary hold on the levying of penalty interest to allow time for businesses and residents to make suitable arrangements with council.” Moorabool council also launched a new COVID-19 business information page moorabool.me/COVD19BusinessSupport to help support local businesses, along with the Moorabool Shire Grants Hub www.moorabool. vic.gov.au/grantshub
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