MAJOR change to popular Dine & Discover voucher program could make millions of Aussies happy in lockdown

Millions of Australians who fear their hospitality vouchers may go to waste due to the latest coronavirus lockdown could be in luck.

The New South Wales government is considering more changes to its popular Dine and Discover voucher scheme as the state struggles to control a fresh virus outbreak that has plunged Sydney and surrounding regions into lockdown for two weeks.

Residents could be able to use their vouchers for takeaway and food deliveries direct from restaurants under a proposal being considered by NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet.

There's also talk of extending the four $25 vouchers a second time beyond July 31 to give recipients more time to use them, The Daily Telegraph reported.

NSW's successful Dine and Discover voucher scheme could be expanded. Pictured are Sydneysiders dining out in Newtown

Hospitality venues in Sydney and the surrounding Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Central Coast areas can only open for takeaway under strict lockdown restrictions.

The $25 vouchers can currently only be used for dining in but could be expanded to takeaways and meals directly ordered from the restaurants but wouldn't extended to include delivery services such as UberEats or Deliveroo.

An expansion of the scheme could be included in an economic stimulus package to be unveiled by Mr Perrottet this week.

Currently only available for dining in, the vouchers could be expanded to also include takeaway anddelivery orders. Pictured is a Bronte cafe open only for takeaways on Saturday

State opposition leader Chris Minns has written to the treasurer to propose a fifth voucher for residents impacted by lockdown

'This expanded criteria would provide an immediate and timely economic boost to local businesses who have just seen their entire cash flow put at risk overnight,' Mr Minns said.

The 'Dine and Discover' scheme gives adult residents four $25 vouchers to spend - two for local hospitality venues and two for cultural venues.

The $500 million voucher scheme was the centrepiece of the NSW government's budget, aiming to get more people spending amid COVID-19.

Patrons using their hospitality vouchers spend an average of $16 on top of their $25 voucher when dining out, according to recent government data.

The proposal comes after Sydney was plunged into a two week lockdown on Saturday. Pictured is a deserted Circular Quay on Sunday night

Comments

Inside Paedophile Island: Incredible pictures show Jeffrey Epstein cavorting with scantily clad young women where he provided gourmet food and beauty lotions and spent hours watching topless teens in Girls Gone Wild 'for inspiration'

Jeffrey Epstein spent an hour of his day watching explicit episodes of Girls Gone Wild while working out and cavorting with nubile young women at his private Caribbean island, as seen in these photos exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com. The perverted financier, who committed suicide at age 66 in August 2019, would ride his exercise bike as he watched the X-rated footage -featuring bare-breasted college girls - because it was 'inspiration' for him, a source who spent time on the island told DailyMail.com. Epstein, who reportedly demanded sex three times a day, was transfixed by the graphic videos that showed young women flashing their breasts to the camera in bars and nightclubs. New details of his sinister life have further been exposed in never-before-seen photographs of his private island Little St James, which was dubbed 'pedophile' and 'orgy' island by disgusted locals. Epstein appears in the series of images surrounded by nubile young women, including s...

Missouri police resume search for body of mother, 28, believed to have been 'suffocated by her husband who wanted to stop her fleeing to her native China with their daughter' a year ago

A year after a young Chinese mother living in Missouri with her family vanished without a trace, police have resumed the search for her body. Mengqi Ji Elledge, 28, was reported missing by her husband, Joseph Elledge, on October 10, 2019. He was charged in February with first-degree murder in her death and has pleaded not guilty. The couple has a young daughter together. Joseph has been accused of suffocating his wife to death and disposing of her body in order to prevent her from returning to her native China with their child and to avoid a costly divorce. Police in Missouri are renewing their efforts to locate the body of Mengqi Ji Elledge, 28, who went missing last October and is presumed dead. Her husband, Joseph Elledge, was charged in February with first-degree murder in her death Police had searched for Mengqi's remains with divers, sonar and heavy machinery at the Lamine River near Booneville after cadaver dogs hit on a scent there Police had searched for her remains wi...

The HS2 money pit: Ministers are told first stage of high-speed rail line may cost another £800m... six months after a budget increase saw total costs soar by £20.6bn to £43billion

Ministers have been told that Phase One of controversial rail line HS2 could cost £800million more than planned. It comes just six months after a budget increase saw total predicted costs for the first stage of the high-speed line soar by £20.6billion to £43billion. In a written statement to Parliament, HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson said half of this figure is due to preparation of the route for construction involving 'more significant challenges than anticipated'. This includes the need to remove more asbestos than expected. Another 'significant cost pressure' worth £400 million has also been identified during the development of designs for Euston station. Mr Stephenson warned that further investigation is being carried out which 'could identify further pressure'. Ministers have been told that Phase One of controversial rail line HS2 could cost £800million more than planned. Pictured: HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson The HS2 route would initially link London and...

Newsif Blog

Search This Blog