Melbourne Lord Mayoral candidate Anthony Koutoufides has pledged free coffees on Mondays for workers in an effort to revitalise the city.
The AFL legend, who is running for Lord Mayor in the October council election, said immediate action needs to be taken to bring people back into the city.
“Over the past few weeks, I’ve been out across our suburbs and CBD, talking to business owners and many of them are saying they are reconsidering their future when their current leases expire,” Koutoufides said.
“Small businesses are leaving the city in concerning numbers, and if we don’t act now, it will only get worse.”
The plan involves several initiatives, with the first being a grant of $5,000 for up to 1,000 businesses that sign a new lease in the CBD in 2025. Public transport would also be subsidised on Fridays for a trial period.
“All you need to do is walk around the city, Southbank and Docklands and the number of For Lease signs is growing by the day. This initiative aims to revitalise the city by filling empty properties with thriving businesses and people,” Koutoufides said.
The free coffees come under the third initiative, with Koutoufides saying Melburnians love their coffee.
Most Melburnians love coffee, and our cafes are renowned around the world for it. So, for those that make the effort to come into the CBD on a Monday, we’ll shout you a coffee,” he said.