The Marlo Hotel has been refused State Government financial support that was intended to keep businesses afloat over the Coronavirus lockdown period.

Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, is appalled proprietors have been completely abandoned by this Government, after they were denied access to the Licenced Hospitality Venue Fund (LVHF) last year.

Mr Bull said the hotel was sold in between lockdowns. The previous owners were receiving the LVHF support and this was documented when the new partnership agreed to the purchase.

“The new owners naturally assumed the payments would continue as normal, however due to a Government introduced technicality, they were ceased.

“For all other businesses that were accessing the fund, it continued, but due to an ownership name change at Marlo, they ceased.

“When the new owners, Guy and Dylan, reached out to my office for help, I spoke with the Minister directly seeking for this anomaly to be fixed on the basis that, like all other pubs and clubs prevented from trading, a name change should not disqualify them.

“After liaising with the Minister’s office for months, I thought it would be a straightforward process to make the adjustment to what was an unforeseen circumstance,” said Mr Bull.

“The reality is this fund was rolled out specifically to support this very type of business that was heavily impacted by a series of closures and patron caps.

“It is extremely disappointing the owners have now been formally notified they will not receive a cent of what they are eligible for. Mr Andrews can have $12 billion in cost over runs on city projects, but can’t find the money owed to a local business that has been severely affected.

“Hiding behind a technicality flaw in its own eligibility criteria is an absolute disgrace. The Government locked the businesses down, it is their responsibility to compensate for the damage inflicted and Marlo should not miss out when others received it.

“Adding insult to injury, a letter signed by the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Jobs Precinct and Regions, instead offered wellbeing and financial counselling along with business resilience mentoring as an alternative – they do not need this, they just want what they are entitled to,” said Mr Bull.

Caption: State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, with Guy Wells, a co-owner of the Marlo Hotel.