TTF Media Release
Tuesday 13 July 2021
SUPPORT PACKAGE A WIN FOR TOURISM INDUSTRY – CONGRATULATES GOVERNMENT FOR HEARING ITS CALL!
The Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) said today’s critical financial support from the Federal and NSW Governments will help long suffering NSW tourism businesses get to the other side of their latest challenge – the Sydney and NSW lockdown.
TTF CEO Margy Osmond said TTF has long been pushing for further support for individuals and businesses to replace JobKeeper due to the ongoing economic uncertainty created by a delayed vaccine rollout resulting in ongoing lockdowns, domestic border closures and next to no international travel.
“This combined package from the Federal and NSW Governments shows that policymakers are hearing industry’s calls that something had to replace JobKeeper as lockdowns and border closures slam our sector,” Margy Osmond said.
“Recent research undertaken by tourism economists Stafford Strategy revealed Sydney’s outbreak and the border restrictions imposed completely decimated the mid-year holiday period with spending down by $6.3 billion nationally.
NSW alone lost business of $2.1 billion or $153 million a day – almost one third of the total national losses.
“The package will see an increase in the COVID-19 Disaster Payment from week four of the lockdown and a 50/50 cost sharing arrangement between the Commonwealth and NSW for a new and expanded small to medium business support package, implemented and administered by NSW.
“This combined package supports employees who have lost hours, it incentivises struggling business to keep staff on until better times return, and it also supports the mental health of younger people, many of whom work in our sector.” Ms Osmond said.
Specifically, some of the key Commonwealth support focusing on individuals includes support from week four of the lockdown and the COVID-19 Disaster Payment will now increase from $500 to $600 each week if a person has lost 20 hours or more of work a week or $325 to $375 each week if a person has lost between 8 and 20 hours of work.
Some of the NSW commitments – which account for over $4 billion of the $5.1 billion package – focusing on businesses include the business grants program announced two weeks ago being expanded, with grants between $7,500 and $15,000 available to eligible businesses with annual wages up to $10 million. A new grant program has also been introduced for micro businesses with $30,000 to $75,000 in turnover.
Further support from NSW for tourism includes a new $75 million support package for the performing arts sector to be administered by Create NSW and a support package for the accommodation sector worth $26 million.
“TTF supports these tourism sector specific packages but will continue to advocate strongly for an attractions support package to assist NSW attractions operators who have long been operating without any international tourists and have lost both interstate and now intrastate markets,” Margy Osmond continued.
“TTF will also continue to push for support to continue for the longer term beyond lockdowns, as it is the long-term, sustainable industries of tourism, transport and aviation, that if supported during the critical recovery period, will pay dividends to state economies and the national economy over many decades to come.”
Ends.
Contact: TTF Manager Policy, Media & Government Relations and Media Lindsay Hermes lhermes@ttf.org.au 0418 948 447