Melbourne RV dealers forced to shut
Sales, parts and servicing restrictions in Melbourne, but purchasing an RV still possibleThe Victorian State Government has ordered most Melbourne retail outlets including car and RV dealerships to close their showroom doors in the wake of the stage-four coronavirus industry lockdown.
It's likely service departments will remain open but access to them will be governed by wider restrictions of movement, as Melbourne residents are currently restricted in most cases to travel within a 5km radius of their residence.
The retail showroom closures apply from Thursday, August 6, and will last for a period of six weeks.
While that means Melbourne shoppers won’t be permitted to walk into a caravan sales outlet, they can still arrange to purchase an RV over the phone, or reach out to a salesperson via other online methods.
Service departments will remain open to cater for emergency services vehicles – police, ambulance, fire brigade – as well as eligible private individuals.
The closures apply to metropolitan Melbourne only. The rest of Victoria (including Mitchell Shire) is now at stage three, leaving RV dealerships and automotive repair businesses free to ply their trade on site, subject to social distancing and other measures.
There are no changes to dealership and allied operations outside of Victoria.
The harsher Stage 4 restrictions are also likely to affect the operation of many Melbourne-based caravan factories classified as non-essential manufacturers, with Victorian Premier Dan Andrews stating that "retail, some manufacturing and administration" businesses will have to cease their on-site operations for six weeks.
"These businesses will all need to close by 11:59pm Wednesday 5 August, unless they have specific circumstances that mean they need longer to shutdown safely," he said.
"For those businesses that suffer significant losses or need to close as a result of the current restrictions, we will provide support through our expanded Business Support Fund.
"Businesses in regional Victoria can apply for a $5000 grant while those in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire can apply for up to $10,000 in recognition of spending longer under restrictions."
Related:
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
