Council stimulus & online ordering app to help save local businesses
MEDIA RELEASE
A new SA-based food delivery app and funding for free meals from the District Council of Karoonda East Murray will allow residents to order takeaway food – while also helping to save two local businesses hit by COVID-19 restrictions.
The Council is partnering with new app YourLocal to support the Karoonda Hotel and Karoonda Mini-Mart to adapt to the current restrictions and continue to trade.
Locals who download the app will have access to a limited number of free meals from the two businesses – funded by the Council as a stimulus measure to ensure the vital local eateries survive the COVID-19 crisis.
The initiative is the first of a number of initiatives that will be developed, and fittingly this one targets the district’s hardest hit businesses. It is also investigating options for Stage 2 – which may include developing websites and online capability for other local businesses.
Karoonda East Murray Mayor Caroline Phillips said the program was a way Council could support both the businesses and residents who were struggling during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our aim is for this program to have a triple bottom line effect, delivering direct cashflow to these businesses and help them maintain their workforces, introducing new technology into the community while also providing meals for locals who could also be feeling the impacts of COVID-19,” Mayor Phillips says.
“Additionally, we’re hopeful the Karoonda East Murray community will take up the new service to support these venues by continuing to order takeaway and hopefully soon, home delivery.”
“Small businesses are a critical part of our economy, provide local jobs and deliver important services to our community. It’s hard to imagine Karoonda without a pub where we can meet with friends, or the Mini-Mart where we can grab some lunch, catch up with neighbours and enjoy a great coffee.”
“Both these businesses are also drawcards for visitors and provide a reason for people to stop, explore and spend money in our district while they take in the sights of the recently completed Silo Art project. It’s so important to ensure their survival beyond COVID-19, both for the local community benefit and for the future of our visitor economy.”
Council will redirect funding from other programs that are unlikely to go ahead this financial year due to COVID-19 (such as community events) to cover the estimated $15K for these first initiatives.
“While it’s unusual for Councils to step in and financially support businesses, we’re all operating in some unusual times right now, and this is a crisis period that none of us have ever experienced before,” Mayor Phillips says.
“At this point in time, we believe it is necessary to do what we can to ensure the Karoonda economy is best placed to survive COVID-19 and set our community up in a strong position to recover once restrictions are lifted. We can’t do that if we lose two of our significant local businesses.”
One of the major benefits for the businesses of the YourLocal app is that it doesn’t charge food venues fees – so 100% of the order proceeds go directly back to the business.
Locals will need to download the YourLocal app from either their Apple or Android store to order from the businesses, and Council hopes the system will be up and running as early as Monday 4 May.
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Media contacts:
District Council of Karoonda East Murray CEO Matthew Morgan
P: (08) 8578 1004 | E: council@dckem.sa.gov.au