Page 144 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 12 February 2020
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tourism and the hospitality sector. This investment is aimed directly at ensuring that this industry remains vibrant and a strong employer.
The problem that has faced the ACT is that we did not enact or advise businesses in a quick enough manner what options were going to be available for them. In fact, it took the opposition to come out and make calls publicly in the media on Monday before the government even made any mention of whether or not assistance in the ACT would be made available. That is in stark contrast to how this matter was handled in other states.
Other states, once they activated their disaster funding arrangements, did not necessarily have all the details ironed out on how businesses could access the grants, the assistance loans or the exemptions but said, “You will be eligible if you are in these areas and we’ll have more information once it becomes available.” The ACT information was non-existent. Businesses in the ACT had no idea whether or not there would be any assistance, whether they would be eligible for any assistance, let alone what was being done.
I think the strongest criticism of the government’s handling of the bushfire and weather events that we have experienced this January is that those that are in need and looking for assistance in uncertain times have not had even an indication that there might be other opportunities or options available to them. The arrangements that are now likely to come into place as a result of the government finally enacting its disaster funding arrangements will make a substantial difference to many small businesses, should they seek to avail themselves of those opportunities.
Business assistance can be provided to alleviate the financial burden that many small businesses are going to be experiencing, predominantly in managing their cash flow barriers. It is worth noting that some of the grants and funds are specifically for the replacement of capital infrastructure or livestock and the like that have been damaged as a direct result of fire. I think we have been lucky in the ACT that the number of businesses directly impacted by fire has been small, but the number that have been affected indirectly through air quality, downturn in tourism and the like is quite substantial. The grants that are available for those businesses will assist in cash flow management and keeping their viability going whilst they trade through this difficult period.
The disaster funding arrangements, when enacted, offer the state or territory government the ability then to determine where assistance is required. I look forward to hearing what more the Chief Minister might have to say about what other assistance is going to be provided. They have been quick to say that they did not enact this agreement and that it depended on meeting a spending threshold. The government say that they are in contact with businesses and are coaching some on how to navigate through this process, but those that I have spoken to, even those that are on the doorstep of where the Orroral Valley fire was, have said that there has been little to no information in this space. Whilst there was plenty of emergency information when the fire was at its worst, the business and economic side of things has been left wanting.
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