It's welcomed news today that Treasurer Cameron Dick announced the Queensland State Government has allocated an additional $70 million for businesses impacted by lockdown, of which $47.75 million is to the support the tourism and hospitality industry.
Townsville Enterprise has been strongly advocating for business assistance since Townsville's lockdown six-weeks ago and we have continued to work with the State Government on securing support for our tourism industry.
Today's $47.75 million Tourism and Hospitality Sector COVID-19 Lockdown Support Package includes a range of relief measures on fees, charges, liquor licensing, and payroll tax to provide immediate support for tourism and hospitality businesses (scroll down for more details). Additionally, there will be an extension of eligibility for the $5,000 COVID-19 Business Support Grants announced last week to include large tourism and hospitality businesses now outside south east Queensland.
The Treasurer also announced a $20 million Queensland COVID-19 Cleaning Rebate to provide assistance for small and medium businesses and not-for-profit organisations affected by possible exposure to a COVID case.
UPDATE FROM THE CEO.... 
It's pleasing that this relief package acknowledges that economic impacts are not just centralised to current lockdown areas but are felt across all of Queensland.
This is something Townsville Enterprise has been strongly advocating for and working with all levels of government on delivering for our business community and tourism industry.
We have always said that being 'locked out' is just as damaging to our business community and tourism industry as being locked down. Despite not being currently locked down, our operators have continued to feel the full force of COVID-19. The SEQ and Cairns lock downs, border closures with our key interstate markets, and now the message of limiting any travel is another nail in the coffin for our tourism industry.
Over the past 6-weeks, the partnership with our members on this advocacy turned our voices into roars as we regularly engaged with the government on the region’s continued economic challenges. We thank the Queensland Government for hearing these calls, particularly Minister for Tourism Stirling Hinchliffe and Treasurer Cameron Dick.
As we continue to navigate through these challenging times, our message to locals is if you have the means to please do support those businesses in your own backyard. By doing so you're supporting a family, a neighbour, or a member of your community. Tourism touches everyone and we all can play a role in supporting those who right now need it most.
We will continue to work with both levels of government to ensure businesses are supported throughout the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Claudia Brumme-Smith
Chief Executive Officer
Townsville Enterprise
The $47.75 million tourism and hospitality lockdown package includes:
- A six-month deferral of payroll tax payments for eligible tourism and hospitality businesses across the state impacted by current lockdowns. This means payroll tax liabilities to be paid in August can be deferred for a period of six months (noting that eligible businesses that already made their payroll tax payments in August will be able to defer their next monthly payroll tax liability for six months);
- Deferring, waiving or refunding a range of fees and charges for eligible tourism and hospitality businesses including 12-month fee waivers for tourism businesses operating in a national park, conservation park, recreation area or state forest (this includes whale watching operations);
- Liquor licensing fee waivers and refunds;
- 12-month deferral of state lease fees for eligible tourism operators for the period between 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022;
- 12-month fee waivers or refunds of inbound tour operator fees. This support is available for fee renewals up to 30 June 2022; and
- Another round of the COVID-19 Marine Tourism Rebate in for the 2021-22 financial year to offset berthing fees for marine tourism vessels at privately owned or privately operated marinas in eligible Local Government Areas.
More information is available on the Business Queensland website.
Business may also be eligible for the 2021 COVID-19 Business Support Grants. $5,000 grants will be made available to small and medium businesses across Queensland affected by the COVID-19 lockdown that commenced on Saturday 31 July 2021.
Those experiencing financial stress are also encouraged to contact one of the Queensland Government’s free Tourism Business Financial Counsellors or COVID-19 Small Business Financial Counsellors. Find out more.
Click here for current list of exposure sites
Click here for the latest Queensland Health information
