Picnic tables will stay in laneway

The outdoor dining spaces in Olive Justice Place and The Laneway in Cowes will be changing this week.

The hired furniture within them is to be replaced by council owned picnic tables.

Teresa Mahood, Acting Manager of the Bass Coast Shire’s Investment and Visitor Economy, who has overseen the creation of the new outdoor spaces, said that as the busy summer period had finished “we will be replacing the hired furniture and set-up with Council-owned picnic tables.”

Ms Mahood said that the spaces will continue to be available for outdoor dining until the end of the Easter school holidays, when they will be reviewed again.

“Overall, we’ve had positive feedback from businesses both in hospitality and retail, saying that the outdoor dining has provided an increase for businesses and created a positive vibe in the towns.

“The feedback we received about the outdoor dining spaces was that the Laneway was the most popular with patrons, followed by Olive Justice Place. We will continue to talk to businesses to understand their recovery needs and focus on business development in the coming months.”

Ms Mahood said that council’s Business Support Officer would also be working with retail businesses to help with visual merchandising to improve sales.

The creation of the communal spaces on public land to facilitate outdoor dining was warmly embraced by operators, residents and holiday makers over the summer holiday season.

The initiative was funded by the state government to assist hospitality businesses affected by Covid social distancing regulations and limits on indoor customer numbers.

Implemented by the Bass Coast Council, the spaces created were used to maximise opportunities for hospitality businesses presented by the influx of visitors over the holiday season.

And judging by the response to the Advertiser’s Vox Pop on the subject, residents and visitors have given the initiative the thumbs up, and in the case of the laneway off Thompson Avenue adjoining G’Day Tiger, would like the seating to remain as a permanent fixture.