Qld businesses to reap extra funding due to actions and inactions of NSW

Struggling Queensland hospitality operators, plus businesses along the NSW border bubble, will get access to $52.8 million to offset the impact of “actions and inactions” by the NSW government during the coronavirus pandemic, Treasurer Cameron Dick says.

The joint state and federal emergency funding package will include an extension of Queensland’s existing pandemic business support program, new one-off hardship payments, and matched funding for local campaigns in the Gold Coast border community.

A view across the quiet NSW-Queensland border to the Twin Towns club during the regional lockdown of the southern state last month.Credit:Matt Dennien

Announcing the funding in State Parliament on Tuesday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it would help many who had been hit hard.

“It supports businesses in the border zone, as well as tourism operators across Queensland who are severely impacted by the ongoing lockdowns in New South Wales and Victoria,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“We’ll deliver $14.55 million in border business zone support to businesses along the border region in the areas of Coolangatta, Currumbin-Tugun, and Currumbin Waters, and the towns of Wallangarra, Goondiwindi and Mungindi.”

After weeks under the toughest border regime between the states throughout the pandemic, due to the regional lockdown of NSW, wider cross-border travel returned for much of the eastern half of the state line from Monday after stay-at-home orders were lifted.

This had followed two earlier snap lockdowns ordered across south-east Queensland in late June and late July. The restrictions across both states were felt acutely across the heavily intertwined communities, many of which did not record any COVID-19 cases during the recent outbreak.

“Some businesses along our border have suffered because of the actions and inactions of the NSW government, resulting in outbreak, lockdown and the border restrictions that necessarily follow to protect Queenslanders,” Mr Dick said.

“Tourism businesses across Queensland have also suffered as southern state residents have been confined to their homes by orders of their state governments.”

Mr Dick said that after discussions with the Commonwealth, eligibility for the existing business support package would be extended to align with the dates of the NSW lockdown, rather than the shorter measures in Queensland.

A new $40 million tourism and hospitality sector program will deliver one-off grants to businesses across the state that had experienced a drop in turnover of at least 70 per cent for at least seven consecutive days between July 1 and September 30.

Other joint funding will provide a $6.3 million top-up of the existing business support grant program and cover an extra $6.5 million in one-off border zone grants “in the event of an extended border closure” for the region.

The one-off hardship grants of up to $5000 for businesses and $1000 for non-employing sole traders will be available from mid-October.

Funding tipped in by the state government alone will include up to $1 million to match a Gold Coast council and Destination Gold Coast campaign to encourage residents to support border businesses.

Another $50,000 will support marketing campaigns in Coolangatta, while $700,000 will go towards additional mental health support for business owners and their families in the border zone.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the amount of joint funding committed to small and medium businesses throughout the pandemic had reached about $600 million.

“But there is light at the end of the tunnel. By sticking to the national plan agreed to by state and territory leaders, we can safely ease restrictions and open up our economy,” Mr Frydenberg said, referring to the 70 and 80 per cent vaccination targets.

“We will continue to work with the Palaszczuk government to ensure the Queensland economy bounces back.”

Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland policy and advocacy general manager Amanda Rohan welcomed the support but said businesses needed to know what it would take for the government to reopen its state border completely.

“Without that certainty, it’s increasingly difficult for border businesses and the wider Queensland business sector to plan their long-term journey back to business,” Ms Rohan said.

The NSW government has flagged a return to lockdown for regional areas that record new COVID-19 cases.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has previously flagged hope the border restrictions would only need to remain in place until 70 per cent of Queenslanders were fully vaccinated.

The Morning Edition newsletter is your guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.

Share this post