Bendigo and Mount Alexander Shire councils launch polls to deal with coronavirus

Their surveys will give hard numbers at a time when councils are unveiling budgets to help their communities.

Six weeks after the Victorian shutdown officially began, public statistics are often yet to drill down to individual towns, though groups like the Australian Bureau of Statistics have been updating data as soon as it comes to hand.

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Consultancies like REMPLAN - the Bendigo-based agency advising a range of councils and government agencies - have also been gathering responses and are now beginning to offer insights into local data.

But not enough businesses are responding to the survey in some parts of the country, the group noted last Friday in a blogpost to its clients.

"If we achieve many responses, then the findings will become representative of the wider local business community. Therefore, the more responses the better!" it said.

The City of Greater Bendigo and Mount Alexander Shire councils have both launched polls this week.

More: What Bendigo council is polling on

Both councils are already in extensive discussions with businesses and community groups.

What is increasingly clear is that no-one will have a complete reading of the situation for a long time, Mount Alexander manager of economy and culture David Leathlem said.

"I keep using the word 'unprecedented'. It's true though, with such an unprecedented change to the entire community the impacts and solutions will come out in the months and possibly years ahead," he said.

"It could be a while before restrictions are eased - and if we do have an outbreak in the region we will be back to square one."

Bendigo mayor Margaret O'Rourke said some businesses were suffering and others were booming, depending on the industry.

"It's a mixed bag, there's definitely not going to be one size fits all approach," she said.

Mr Leathlem said most businesses' revenue had been hit either by shutdowns or social distancing restrictions.

"It's not just sales and revenue, though. It's cash-flow too. A lot of businesses have made sales but there's this domino-effect of their customers or suppliers not necessarily being able to pay," he said.

"So we are seeing disruptions across the whole supply chain."

Adding to challenges, a number of businesses were still working out whether they qualified.

"This all happened so quickly that some have had to reach out for emotional support first, so they are only just turning attention to what help they can get," he said.

Mount Alexander's business and creative industry survey can be found here.

The Bendigo council's relief and recovery survey for all residents can be found here.

REMPLAN's business survey can be found here.

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