Small businesses impacted by the security incident at Porepunkah in August are being encouraged to apply for $5000 grants being made available through the Victorian government's Alpine Shire Business Support Grant Program.
Minister for Small Business and Employment, Natalie Suleyman, said small businesses in Alpine Shire across the hospitality, tourism, retail and events sectors, are eligible for the grants following revenue loss during this period.
Minister Suleyman said the grant program is part of a $2.5 million investment to boost tourism and support the local communities affected in Porepunkah, Bright, and the surrounding region – helping business owners cover essential business costs, manage operations, and boost marketing to encourage visitors to return to the region.
"Businesses in Porepunkah who have been most impacted have already been offered the $5000 grants to support their recovery, with Business Victoria working directly with eligible visitor economy small businesses in the town," she said.
"As part of the support available, the Small Business Bus visited Porepunkah and Bright earlier this month to provide one-on-one tailored business advice to support small and family businesses who have been affected by the recent disruption."
Minister Suleyman said the program includes support to the Alpine Shire Council and Bright Chamber of Commerce to organise community activities and events, marketing campaigns, and long-term tourism projects to attract more visitors and grow the local economy.
Alpine Shire Mayor, Cr Sarah Nicholas, welcomed the government's support, saying the program complements the 2025 Porepunkah Business Support Grant Program, which was offered directly to businesses in Porepunkah that were impacted by the incident.
"While the health and wellbeing impacts of this incident may be ongoing, we appreciate the support of the Victorian government to help our businesses find their feet in the immediate aftermath," she said.
"As a council, we encourage all eligible businesses and residents to not only apply for this support program, but also seek out other supports, such as mental health practitioners and wellbeing services to know that there's always help available."
Businesses are encouraged to read the Alpine Shire Business Support Grant Program guidelines before applying to find out more about their eligibility.
To be eligible, you must be a visitor economy employing small business with fewer than 20 full-time employees which has experienced a 40 per cent decline in revenue of at least $10,000 across a single month period between 26 August and 30 September 2025, as a result of the 26 August security incident when compared to the same time period in 2024.
Applications close on 6 November.
To apply, visit business.vic.gov.au/grants-and-programs/alpine-shire-business-support-grant-program.
McCurdy calls for fair support for all affected businesses
The Victorian government has been asked to urgently broaden the eligibility criteria for business support grants to ensure all businesses across the Ovens Valley affected by the security incident at Porepunkah on August 26, receive the assistance they deserve.
Nationals’ MP for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy, told Parliament last week that while Porepunkah businesses were grateful to receive support following what has been a very difficult 50 days, many surrounding communities including Bright, Wandiligong and Ovens have been left behind.
“Only around 14 per cent of businesses outside Porepunkah have qualified for the $5000 grant offered by the government,” Mr McCurdy said.
“These are businesses that have also suffered significant economic impacts during this period and deserve the same level of support.”
Mr McCurdy said when government agencies such as Victoria Police advise tourists to stay away from a region for an extended period, for good reason, the Victorian government has a responsibility to support those communities economically.
“A $5000 grant is a drop in the ocean compared to the reported $100 million spent on the manhunt (for fugitive and alleged police killer Desmond Freeman),” he said.
“I completely support the actions taken to ensure community safety, but we must also ensure local businesses are not left to shoulder the financial burden.
“I urge the government to be fair and reasonable, ease the criteria immediately so that more businesses can qualify for this support."
As reported in last week's paper, Mr McCurdy and Nationals' leader Danny O'Brien toured Porepunkah and met with local businesses on 8 October.