Local Lockdowns Business Support Program: $5,000 Grant to help businesses through temporary COVID-19 lockdowns

Local Lockdowns Business Support Program: $5,000 Grant to help businesses through temporary COVID-19 lockdowns

As a result of the new Local Lockdown of 10 Melbourne postcodes (starting tonight at midnight), the Victorian State Government has announced a new " Local Lockdowns Business Support Program " for businesses operating in these 10 postcodes to apply for a $5,000 grant.

Please note that businesses operating in one of the 10 postcodes listed below can Register an Interest from today, and the full Application process will be released in the next few days.

Stage 3 restrictions will be reintroduced in Victoria's hotspot suburbs as of 11.59pm on Wednesday night (1 July 2020).

People living in the following 10 postcodes can only leave their homes to go to work, for study, for food or supplies, or for exercise:

·         3012, Brooklyn, Kingsville, Maidstone, Tottenham, West Footscray

·         3021, Albanvale, Kealba, Kings Park, St Albans

·         3032, Ascot Vale, Highpoint city, Maribyrnong, Travancore

·         3038, Keilor Downs, Keilor Lodge, Taylors Lakes, Watergardens

·         3042, Airport West, Keilor Park, Niddrie

·         3046, Glenroy, Hadfield, Oak Park

·         3047, Broadmeadows, Dallas, Jacana

·         3055, Brunswick South, Brunswick West, Moonee Vale, Moreland West

·         3060, Fawkner

·         3064, Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Mickleham, Roxburgh Park and Kalkallo

What support is available?

An urgent $5000 grant will be made available to businesses in the 10 postcodes hit by further Stage 3 restrictions.

If your business is affected by the return to Stage 3 restrictions in these postcodes, you may be able to apply for $5,000 support under the Local Lockdowns Business Support Program

What type of business can apply for this grant?

Businesses can apply if they:

are operating in a postcode that his affected by the return to Stage 3 restrictions (not necessarily their registered address); and
are registered for JobKeeper and attest that their trading has been impacted by the return to Stage 3 restrictions; and
are an employing business; and
are currently registered to pay GST ; and
have a payroll of less than $3 million per annum; and
hold an Australian Business Number ( ABN ) and have held that ABN at 16 March 2020 (date of the State of Emergency declaration); and
have been engaged in carrying out the operation of the business in Victoria on 16 March 2020 .

Businesses can still receive this $5,000 grant even if they have already received a $10,000 Business Support Fund grant or payroll tax refund or waiver.

Full guidelines and information on eligibility should be released shortly.

How to apply

Applications will be open shortly. In the interim, to register your interest in receiving support complete the " Register an Interest " form – click here

Please do not hesitate to contact your Lowe Lippmann Relationship Partner if you wish to discuss any of these matters further

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Practice Update – August 2026

August 4, 2026

Government to permanently extend $20,000 instant asset write-off The Government has recently introduced legislation that would make the $20,000 instant asset write-off permanent for small businesses (as announced in the 2026 Federal Budget). If enacted, the changes would: permanently set the instant asset write-off threshold at $20,000 (instead of $1,000) for eligible depreciating assets first used, or installed ready for use, for a taxable purpose from 1 July 2026; and permanently set the general small business pool threshold at $20,000 from 1 July 2026. The changes would also further suspend the 'lock-out rule' until 30 June 2027. This rule otherwise prevents a business that has chosen not to use the simplified depreciation rules from re-entering the regime for five years.

Tax Alert - High Court decision and ATO statement on Bendel’s Case

July 7, 2026

High Court decision and ATO statement on Bendel’s Case The High Court recently handed down its decision in Bendel’s Case, confirming that an unpaid present entitlement (or UPE) between a discretionary trust and a beneficiary company does not fall within the extended definition of a “loan” for Division 7A purposes. The Australian Taxation Office released a Decision Impact Statement in response to the High Court findings, concluding the High Court's reasoning makes it clear that where a beneficiary company is entitled to a share of trust income that remains unpaid (a UPE) and the company takes no positive actions to call for payment of the entitlement, this will not fall within the expanded definition of a "loan" for Division 7A purposes. This is in contradiction to the ATO’s historical position that treated UPEs as "loans".

Practice Update – July 2026

July 5, 2026

Government's tax reform package The Government has recently legislated several of the tax reform measures announced in the 2026 Federal Budget (and in later media releases). These include, among other things: Replacing the CGT discount with cost base indexation and a 30% minimum tax on gains accruing from 1 July 2027 (including gains on pre-CGT assets); Increasing the small business turnover threshold for the 50% active asset reduction from $2 million to $10 million; Limiting negative gearing for residential property to new residential dwellings from 1 July 2027 (subject to transitional rules); and Introducing the Working Australians Tax Offset from 1 July 2027, and the $1,000 instant tax deduction for work-related expenses from 1 July 2026. After a round of consultation, the Government has also announced further proposed measures, broadly including (among others): A new targeted CGT discount for investors in innovative start-ups; Barring SMSFs from utilising future limited recourse borrowing arrangements ( LRBAs ) to acquire residential property; and Exempting income of discretionary testamentary trusts from the minimum tax proposed for trusts. We recently released a Tax Alert considering the legislation restricting SMSFFs using residential property LRBAs – to read click here . For full details of each of the 2026 Federal Budget announcements, please see our Federal Budget Tax Alert – to read click here .