Heavy levy

By Jade Lawton
A BUSINESS plan outlining the future of Berwick Village will be emailed to 250 local traders this week.
The document is a crucial precursor to the Business Improvement District (BID), a scheme that will charge businesses a levy of up to $450 to fund special projects in the village.
The draft business plan details how the cash – an estimated $100,000 – would be spent.
Ideas proposed so far include the return of Berwick’s family fun day, a food and wine festival, extended fashion show and a revamped website.
More than 50 per cent of traders must vote for the business plan and BID before it is adopted.
Peter Fraser, manager of Berwick Westpac, has worked on the business plan for the last seven months.
Introducing the plan to businesses at a public meeting on Monday night, Mr Fraser said he wanted the plan to be a collaborative one, with all businesses pitching their ideas for the future of the village.
“We (the Berwick Village Chamber of Commerce) sent out 240 questionnaires and received about 140 trader responses,” he said.
“I have read numerous trader surveys full of criticism – we would much rather constructive criticism than negative criticism.”
Under the draft plan, High Street traders would be charged an extra $450, and all others $400.
About $14,000 of the cash would finance the family fun day, which would be run by a volunteer committee. Just under $25,000 would pay for a part-time centre manager, who would be responsible for liaising with the council, administration, marketing and other tasks.
BID specialist Michelle Fraser said the levy would give Berwick real lobbying power.
“A chamber of commerce, particularly a large one, can have a great amount of influence over not just council, but also VicRoads or the EPA,” she said.
“Council wants your shopping centre to work for you but they are not on the ground, they don’t know the local conditions … council would much rather one person (the centre manager) to deal with than 250.”
Berwick Village Chamber of Commerce President Harry Hutchinson urged traders to consider the business plan.
“As a group we have roughly 100 members at the best of times. Unfortunately we are not around that at the moment,” he said.
“This will give us one voice, and then we can start pushing forward.”