We love our local high streets.
Shopping strips are the social and economic hearts of our communities and a huge part of what makes them such great places to live.
But empty shops affect the whole neighbourhood. Traders have had a hard couple of years, and they need support to get back on track.
Too many landlords are asking for too much in rent, and they are often making the decision to leave their property vacant rather than offering it at a lower rent.
The Greens have a plan to revive our local shopping strips, creating jobs for people in retail, hospitality, the service sectors and the arts.
The Greens' plan includes:
- Support for artists, traders and pop-up shops to open in vacant premises
- Upgrading streetscapes, improved footpaths and expanded outdoor dining areas to make sure our high streets are great public spaces
- Funding for more events and festivals to encourage people back to our shopping strips
- A Shopping Strips Revitalisation Unit embedded within the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions would work with local and state governments to deliver the plan.
- A commercial vacancy tax to reduce vacancy rates with funds raised to be reinvested in revitalisation.
Our plan includes $50m over the forward estimates for supporting artist studios and pop-up shops, festivals and events, outdoor dining and the Shopping Strip Revitalisation Unit. Upgrading streetscapes is covered by our $2.5 billion commitment for walking and cycling.
Our 2% vacancy tax would apply to the site value of vacant commercial property in metropolitan Melbourne, and would exempt properties which are vacant for less than six months in a calendar year, or under development. It would base compliance and penalties on the City of Vancouver Empty Homes Tax (EHT).