Yahoo Finance 500,000 Aussies to get $100 for 'fantastic' Friday fun
The NSW government is desperate to bring Sydneysiders back into the CBD, and it’s using another set of vouchers to achieve it.
Half a million $100 vouchers will be made available to Sydneysiders as part of the upcoming state budget, according to reports in the Daily Telegraph.
Unlike the existing Dine & Discover scheme, however, the vouchers can only be used in the CBD postcode of 2000. While the vouchers will come in the form of four $25 vouchers, the vouchers can also be used in one transaction, rather than split across multiple bills.
That means users could potentially wipe $100 off a bill in one go.
The vouchers can also only be used on Fridays in a bid to tempt remote workers back into the city before the weekend.
“Friday is a fun day - we have listened to businesses and industry and want to kickstart the weekend,” NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said.
“This will be a targeted program designed to get people back into the CBD and boost business.”
He said the plan is to make “Fridays fantastic”.
The vouchers will be made available via the Service NSW app.
Businesses in Sydney welcomed the plan, noting that the CBD is still operating below 70 per cent of pre-COVID capacity, with this even worse on Mondays and Fridays.
“A free Friday lunch on the government will entice workers into the CBD and boost business, not just for hospitality venues but for many other businesses in the city on days when the city streets are still very empty in the nation’s once thriving economic driver,” Business Sydney acting executive director Damian Kelly said.
“It’s hoped this initiative will kick-start a permanent return to city offices on Fridays for the thousands still working from home and we strongly encourage staff to return to their workplaces to help drive the engine room of the state’s economy.”
The initial Dine & Discover scheme was recently extended from the end of June to the end of July to encourage more NSW residents to get out and about.
The NSW government will hand down its budget next Tuesday 22 June.
