From the CEO, Patricia O'Callaghan...
For our region to have any realistic fighting chance of firing again during the COVID-19 recovery phase, the road-map to that recovery must be put in place now.
It's not simply flicking a switch for local businesses to reopen and commence trading again, particularly for those in the tourism and hospitality sector. Several steps must be taken and if a date and framework is set now, then the path to recovery will be clearer for our business community to follow.
National Cabinet will meet again on Friday and it has been indicated that a three-staged plan will be tabled for States and Territories to begin easing restrictions.
Ahead of that meeting, it's encouraging to see the Premier will this week meet with hospitality and tourism industry bodies to discuss measures required for businesses to reopen. These are sectors that were hit first and hardest and still under a cloud of uncertainty about the future of their business.
Whilst it's pleasing to see these conversations commence, time is of the essence and this week we have seen more local businesses not able to hold on any longer and permanently close their doors. Come this Friday, the time for conversations is over, we must see conversion.
During his address to the National Press Club yesterday, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg revealed that $4 billion is wiped off our national economy's bottom line every week that the current restrictions are in place. This is a concerning economic trajectory we're on unless our State and Territory leaders, as directed by the Prime Minister, start putting the plans in place now to see businesses reopen.
We're already seeing it underway in the Northern Territory, and now it's time for Queensland to get its economy ticking again. Under the Queensland road to recovery we must see genuine intent and will to get businesses reopened as soon as safely possible through measures that will get people back in jobs, industries back on their feet, and making those valuable contributions to our local, state and national economies.
The Prime Minister again reiterated yesterday that our nation's success on the other side of the pandemic will not be measured upon a low number of COVID-19 cases, and that the States and Territories must get people back into jobs and into work now (read transcript excerpt below).
Here in Townsville, we are one day away from reaching the full two cycles (28 days) of recording no new cases, of which the Chief Health Officer indicated would be the required time-frame to consider lifting restrictions. Our community should be proud of its diligence to abiding by social distancing restrictions and our low level of positive cases is testament to those efforts. It is now time to provide North Queenslanders that light at the end of the tunnel and ramp up our road-map to recovery.
We will continue working closely with our business community to get them through this truly devastating time. We look forward to some concrete plans announced by our State Government at the end of this week and providing our business community the clarity they deserve and some hope to hang on.
Parliament House Press Conference - Transcript Excerpt
5 May 2020
JOURNALIST: Is there anything that you can do as Prime Minister, leader of the nation, to put more pressure on some states that perhaps not everyone agrees with the extent of their lockdown?
PRIME MINISTER: We’re a federation and at the end of the day, states have sovereignty over decisions that fall specifically within their domain. And the National Cabinet, more than any other tool I've seen in my time in public life, has brought about a consistency of approach between states and territories, not a uniformity, but a greater consistency. And within those discussions, they have always been candid, they've always been honest, and they've always been in good faith. And you know, whether it's considering as I did today, demonstrating what the impact is by state to the economy. At the end of the day, every Premier, every Chief Minister has to stand in front of their state and justify the decisions that they're taking in terms of the extent of the restrictions that are in place. The trade off that they're making between people having jobs and the impact on the containment of the coronavirus.
Now, my view has always been this and I've said it from this podium many times. Just having a low number of cases is not success. Particularly when you got a lot of people out of work like your friend today. That is the curve that I'm looking to address. Now, we've had great success on flattening the health curve, and that's great and we all wanted that. But it has come at a price and we now have to start balancing that up. I think there is, having spoken to all the Premiers and Chief Ministers regularly, there is no shortage of pressure on the decisions that they're making, I can assure you. But I respect the fact that they've each got to make their own call, just like I do, and they've got to explain it to the people who live in their state and they've got to justify it. And I think that's the appropriate transparency and accountability. Full transcript here.
So far out of National Cabinet this week...
- Agreed to establish a three step framework to gradually remove baseline restrictions. Details to be determined on Friday 8 May.
- Agreed that Safework Australia would be the single source of information, which will allow businesses to plan with confidence and consistency. A toolkit is being developed for businesses to use, to help them be work ready in a COVID-19 safe environment.
- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Adern joined National Cabinet yesterday. Both nations agreed to start work on a trans-Tasman COVID-19 safe travel zone, easing travel restrictions between Australia and New Zealand.
- It is National Cabinet’s aim to have a sustainable COVID-19 safe economy in July 2020.
- It was noted that some health measures will need to be in place for a considerable period of time including social distancing, strong hygiene and international travel restrictions. Some jurisdictions may choose to maintain interstate travel restrictions.
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