Shop owners must display council signage under retail grants program
Shop owners and small business owners who apply for Brisbane City Council's $2000 grants for pop-up shopfronts across the city may be required to participate in media promotion and must display council signage.
Lord mayor Adrian Schrinner announced the $2000 grants last week in a bid to curb the number of empty shopfronts citywide, telling ratepayers to get out onto the streets and support local business.
A pop-up program run by Brisbane City Council aims to fill empty shopfronts across the city.Credit:Lucy Stone
A report prepared for council on the program's purposes and requirements notes that the Suburban Shopfront Activation program is a pilot initiative with 12 shop owners and 12 small business owners who will receive the grants on a first-in-best-dressed basis.
The council will create a register of small business owners and landlords interested in participating in the scheme and work to pair up suitable businesses and pop-up shopfronts.
The terms and conditions for the grants, submitted to council ahead of Tuesday's chamber meeting, stipulate shop owners and business owners will need to comply with any council audits.
"By applying for this grant, property owners agree that if they are awarded a grant they will participate in activities of council, including but not limited to media exposure and future initiatives without any payment or other compensation," the terms and conditions state.
"If requested by council, property owners will provide all reasonable assistance and cooperation to council in the preparation of case studies and other material for the council's use generally."
Business owners who become tenants through the scheme must also agree to display council advertisements during their pop-up tenancy and comply with "any direction or requirement of council including conditions as to its presentation, placement and prominence".
Cr Schrinner said on Tuesday any council advertising would not include photos of individual councillors but would feature the standard council logo and colours.
It was normal practice for ratepayer-funded projects to include council information, he said.
"We also know that it's important when people see good programs like this running out across the city ... that they know that the program exists so they can apply and we can expand the reach of the program," Cr Schrinner said.