Marketing & Business Improvement Fund
Why South Melbourne Needs a Marketing & Business Improvement Fund
South Melbourne is at an important point in its evolution. For the past three+ years, the Business Association has operated without ongoing funding or dedicated staffing, relying solely on the commitment of its volunteer Committee (local business operators) to deliver precinct promotion, events, advocacy and improvements. While this has created a strong foundation, it naturally limits what can be delivered and how consistently it can be maintained.
Importantly, South Melbourne is currently the only major precinct in the City of Port Phillip without a Special Rate program. Every other established precinct in the municipality — including Fitzroy Street, Acland Street, Carlisle Street and Port Melbourne — already operates with a funded Marketing & Business Improvement model. The same is true across many of Melbourne’s most successful retail and commercial precincts, such as Chapel Street, Sydney Road, Glenferrie Road, Maling Road, Puckle Street and others. These programs are a proven and widely adopted model for delivering coordinated marketing, activation, safety advocacy, trader engagement and precinct improvements. These programs are well-established, widely adopted and proven to deliver coordinated marketing, activation, trader support, safety advocacy and precinct improvements.
The proposed Marketing & Business Improvement Fund will enable South Melbourne to transition from an ad-hoc, volunteer-led structure to a professionally delivered, strategically coordinated program. It will provide the resources needed to strengthen precinct marketing, enhance the customer experience, improve safety and amenity, and ensure South Melbourne businesses are effectively represented in planning and decision-making processes.
A funded program also enables the Association to continue its vital advocacy role. South Melbourne needs a coordinated voice, an organisation that can champion local business interests, represent the precinct in Council and government discussions, and ensure that trader/business concerns and opportunities are heard. The Business Association has worked hard to build this representation and is now a respected voice for South Melbourne in strategic planning and investment discussions across the municipality. Without this presence, our precinct risks not being heard or prioritised.
A dedicated precinct coordinator will also be engaged to support businesses one-on-one. Their role will include understanding the needs of individual traders/businesses, assisting with onboarding into campaigns and the business directory, and identifying the most effective ways to promote each business within the precinct. This ensures consistent support and tailored opportunities for all operators.
Despite operating without funding, the Association has already delivered significant, tangible improvements across the precinct, including heritage verandah restorations, lighting upgrades, public art initiatives, decorative banners, community safety advocacy and the Porsche & Coffee Festival. These initiatives have increased visitation, improved evening amenity, strengthened South Melbourne’s identity and uplifted the presentation of key streets and heritage assets. These are outcomes no single business could achieve independently, yet they benefit the precinct collectively.
A funded program will allow us to build on this momentum and establish formal participation pathways for businesses, including:
- inclusion in the precinct business directory
- opportunities to take part in coordinated marketing campaigns
- eligibility for business spotlights, promotions and social media features
- capability-building workshops and trader support
- enhanced amenity, safety and visitor experience across the precinct
Different sectors will benefit in different ways, whether through increased visitation, improved digital visibility, stronger precinct identity, or enhanced amenity and customer experience. For example:
- hospitality & retail: increased visitation, campaigns and activations
- health & beauty: improved digital visibility and customer reach
- professional services: stronger precinct identity, amenity, safety and web presence
The Special Rate is designed to address the core limitations that exist today: the absence of funding, staffing and structure. It provides a sustainable model that ensures transparent measurement, consistent delivery and equitable benefits for the entire precinct.
Without a funded program, the Association will continue to face severe constraints and may ultimately be unable to sustain the level of advocacy, activity and support that South Melbourne businesses require.
This initiative represents an important opportunity for South Melbourne to align with best-practice precinct models across Melbourne and to invest in a stronger, more vibrant and more competitive future for our business community.
Common Questions About the Marketing & Business Improvement Fund
1. Why is a Special Rate needed in South Melbourne?
South Melbourne is currently the only major precinct in the City of Port Phillip without a funded Marketing & Business Improvement program. Every other precinct in the municipality operates with a Special Rate, and so do many of Melbourne’s most successful activity centres.
A funded program allows for consistent marketing, advocacy, place activation and business support, services that cannot be delivered sustainably through volunteer effort alone.
2. What will the funding be used for?
The Fund will support a coordinated program including:
- precinct-wide marketing and promotional campaigns
- business directory management and digital visibility
- events and activations that increase visitation
- improved amenity, lighting and safety advocacy
- trader/business support, workshops and capability building
- a dedicated precinct coordinator
3. How does this benefit my individual business?
Benefits vary by sector, but include:
- increased foot traffic through events and coordinated marketing
- improved digital visibility via directory listings and campaigns
- opportunities for trader features, promotions and social media content
- a stronger precinct identity that attracts customers and investment
- improved amenity and safety, enhancing customer experience
Many of these outcomes are not achievable by individual businesses acting alone.
4. How will the program be managed?
The program will be guided by the Business Association Committee, which represents a cross-section of businesses and sectors within the precinct. This Committee provides the strategic leadership for the five-year Marketing & Business Improvement Plan, ensuring that priorities reflect the needs of South Melbourne’s diverse business community and that the program is delivered transparently, equitably and in the interests of all traders.
To deliver the program professionally and consistently, a dedicated precinct coordinator will be appointed. Working under the direction of the Committee, the coordinator will manage day-to-day operations, including trader engagement, onboarding into the business directory, coordination of campaigns and activations, digital content, event support and regular reporting on program activity and outcomes.
This structure ensures that:
• local business operators set the strategy and priorities
• a professional coordinator delivers the program on the ground
• the precinct benefits from both strong governance and consistent execution
5. Will all businesses be included in the program?
All eligible businesses and properties within the defined Special Rate boundary will automatically be included in — and contribute to — the program.
Businesses located outside the Special Rate boundary but still within the broader South Melbourne precinct can also participate by becoming financial members of the Business Association. Upon paying the relevant membership fee, they will be included in the program and have access to the same marketing, engagement and precinct-wide initiatives as businesses inside the boundary.
This ensures the program is both geographically defined and inclusive, allowing any business in the precinct to be involved and benefit.
6. How will outcomes be measured?
Measuring outcomes is an important part of any funded precinct program. The Marketing & Business Improvement Fund will include clear expectations around monitoring activity and reporting on progress to ensure transparency and accountability.
While the detailed measurement framework will be developed once the program is established, it is expected that reporting will cover key areas such as precinct activity, marketing reach, trader/business participation and overall program delivery. The aim is to ensure businesses can clearly see the value being generated over the life of the program.
7. Why can’t the Business Association continue as it has been operating?
The Association has achieved a great deal over the past few years, but it has done so without ongoing funding and without dedicated staff, relying entirely on volunteer time. This model is not sustainable for delivering the level of marketing, advocacy, business support and precinct activation that South Melbourne needs.
A funded program provides the structure, resources and continuity required to operate consistently, professionally and at a scale that benefits all businesses.
8. What happens if the Special Rate does not proceed?
Without dedicated funding, the Association will continue to face severe limitations and may ultimately be unable to sustain its operations.
This would leave South Melbourne without a representative voice, an advocate or a coordinated program to support local businesses, at a time when other precincts continue to invest in coordinated marketing and improvement initiatives.
9. Is this model common in Melbourne?
Yes. Special Rate and Marketing & Business Improvement schemes are long-standing and widely used in Melbourne to support local economic activity. Precincts such as Chapel Street, Sydney Road, Church Street (Brighton), Puckle Street, Fitzroy Street, Acland Street, Carlisle Street and Port Melbourne all operate under similar funded models.
10. Who can I speak with if I have further questions?
Businesses are welcome to contact the South Melbourne Business Association directly. We are happy to discuss individual concerns, explain specific benefits and provide examples relevant to your business type.
Email us at info@experiencesouthmelbourne.com.au
More Information
Further detail about the proposed Marketing & Business Improvement Fund, its objectives and its intended outcomes can be found in the following documents:
These documents outline the strategic direction of the program, planned initiatives, and the work already delivered across the precinct, providing a comprehensive understanding of how the Fund will support South Melbourne over the next five years.