Page 142 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 12 February 2020
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
I take this opportunity to put on the record my thanks to and acknowledgement of the frontline workers and volunteers who have done all they can to keep the ACT and our region safe. I pay my respects to those from our neighbouring states and fellow Australians who have lost property, livestock and, worse, livelihoods. Most importantly, I recognise those who have sadly paid the ultimate sacrifice in the face of the terrible fires that we have experienced over the last couple of months.
January typically is a time when we see natural disasters, or perhaps it is just a time when people are on leave and have the freedom of thought to pay more attention to what is going on. But this summer, unlike many others, has been unique in our region. Our usually sunny and welcoming city has been shrouded by a cloak of smoke, impacting our air quality, forcing people to stay indoors and keeping visitors away, affecting not just the ACT and our homes but also our playgrounds down the coast.
Road closures and bushfires on our doorstep, in addition to the hailstorms that we saw earlier in the year, are part of a myriad of disasters hitting the ACT region that we have not seen for quite some time, if ever before, at the same time in the one season. The impact on business in the ACT has been profound, in particular our hospitality and tourism businesses that heavily rely on tourism traffic, both domestic and international, as well as those Canberrans who choose to stick around during the summer months for some R&R.
The impacts are hitting home. Many local businesses are grappling with what the future now holds. For some, it means the need to restructure their finances, potentially the use of an overdraft, having to put in more personal capital or seek funding from elsewhere. Those that are doing it slightly tougher are considering laying off staff or, worse, the long-time viability of their businesses and whether or not they continue to trade.
In the last week I have heard from a couple of small businesses operating in the tourism sector who have ceased or are about to cease operating as a result of the tough trading conditions they have experienced over the summer months. I have been speaking with businesses and operators across Canberra, and everyone has a story to tell about the impact and the unique set of circumstances that they have experienced in their business over the last several weeks.
The Canberra Region Tourism Leaders Forum has provided a snapshot across various types of businesses which illustrates very well some of the impacts specifically in the tourism industry. A local tourist attraction in the north of Canberra has suffered losses in excess of $200,000. All hotels across the region are reporting a dramatic increase in cancellations, with one hotel group reporting a loss of over $500,000 across its hotel group and the venues within its precinct. The Australian Hotels Association in the ACT has reported an increase in vacancy rates above 30 per cent on previous Januarys. The Bush Capital Lodge has reported cancellations of groups that account for over $20,000 of losses. Likewise, over $20,000 of losses has been suffered by Leumeah Lodge in cancellations for January alone.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video