❓ The Premier outlines a $67 million COVID-19 business assistance package targeting small businesses impacted by the Omicron variant, including rental relief, alfresco support, and waived licensing fees. The package aims to encourage continued patronage of local businesses.
AnsweredQoN 88Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS
— BUSINESS ASSISTANCE PACKAGE
88. Mr Y. MUBARAKAI to the Premier:
I refer to the McGowan
government's commitment to supporting WA businesses as the COVID-19
Omicron variant continues to spread throughout the community. Can the
Premier outline to the house what the COVID-19 business assistance package that
was announced today will mean for businesses affected by increasing case
numbers and the necessary implementation of level 1 public health and social measures?
— BUSINESS ASSISTANCE PACKAGE
88. Mr Y. MUBARAKAI to the Premier:
I refer to the McGowan
government's commitment to supporting WA businesses as the COVID-19
Omicron variant continues to spread throughout the community. Can the
Premier outline to the house what the COVID-19 business assistance package that
was announced today will mean for businesses affected by increasing case
numbers and the necessary implementation of level 1 public health and social measures?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Jandakot for the question.
Before I answer the question, I will make a short statement.
I am sure that all members join me in expressing our thoughts and best wishes
to the people of Ukraine during this very, very difficult time. I also express
our thoughts to any Western Australians with relatives in Ukraine or any Western
Australians of Ukrainian heritage. I also join with the commonwealth government in condemning the unprovoked aggression
by the Russian government towards the country of Ukraine. It is a shocking,
shocking thing that it has done.
We are now in the phase of the pandemic that we predicted and
knew would be coming. Up to eight o'clock last night, we recorded 617 new cases, most of which were local cases. We now
have 2 147 active cases in Western Australia and we expect that we will
shortly be recording more than a thousand new cases a day within Western Australia. This will be an uncertain and difficult
period, but we know that we are as well prepared as possible for what lies ahead.
Despite all our measures, businesses will still be impacted
across the state. There will be staffing issues, isolation requirements, some
people who will not go out and disruption to some supply chains. Due to this
government's strong financial management over the course of the last
five years, we are in a good position to be able to provide support to Western Australian
businesses, just as we have throughout the entire pandemic. Over the course of
the pandemic, the government has put $10 billion into pandemic response
measures, including $1.6 billion into direct support for Western Australian
small and medium–sized businesses.
Today, we announced a further $67 million COVID-19 business
assistance package, on top of everything else we have done so far. The package
will help those businesses that are most impacted by the spread of the Omicron
variant. It involves eight programs targeting small businesses. Despite our
request that people continue to go out and access businesses, some people have
decided to not do that, which has resulted in a drop in trade for some
businesses around Western Australia. This new package includes $42 million in tenant
rental relief, providing grants of up to $3 000 for eligible small business
tenants; $10.7 million in landlord rental relief, to provide support to landlords who match what the government is
doing—in effect, some businesses will be able to get up to $6 000 in rental relief if the landlord matches it;
the waiving of rent for government tenants, up to $6 000; a $5 million alfresco support program for businesses to put in place alfresco initiatives,
particularly cafes and the like; the waiving of a range of licensing fees, including liquor licensing fees, across the
state; a $1.8 million nightclub assistance program ; and a $1.3 million
performing arts, theatres and cinemas assistance program, providing grants of
up to $50 000. I was at a Luna cinema this morning. Those sorts of venues will
obviously suffer at these times, so we want to provide support to them,
particularly the cinemas out there that might suffer a loss of trade. This is a
direct set of grants to businesses and forms
part of the $355 million in support that we have provided to business since
December last year so that they can cope with what has gone on. As I said,
it is because of our good financial management that we have been able to do
that.
I encourage Western Australians
to continue to access our businesses across the state—retail,
hospitality and the like. Just because we have COVID does not mean that people
should stop going out and stop supporting local businesses.
Before I answer the question, I will make a short statement.
I am sure that all members join me in expressing our thoughts and best wishes
to the people of Ukraine during this very, very difficult time. I also express
our thoughts to any Western Australians with relatives in Ukraine or any Western
Australians of Ukrainian heritage. I also join with the commonwealth government in condemning the unprovoked aggression
by the Russian government towards the country of Ukraine. It is a shocking,
shocking thing that it has done.
We are now in the phase of the pandemic that we predicted and
knew would be coming. Up to eight o'clock last night, we recorded 617 new cases, most of which were local cases. We now
have 2 147 active cases in Western Australia and we expect that we will
shortly be recording more than a thousand new cases a day within Western Australia. This will be an uncertain and difficult
period, but we know that we are as well prepared as possible for what lies ahead.
Despite all our measures, businesses will still be impacted
across the state. There will be staffing issues, isolation requirements, some
people who will not go out and disruption to some supply chains. Due to this
government's strong financial management over the course of the last
five years, we are in a good position to be able to provide support to Western Australian
businesses, just as we have throughout the entire pandemic. Over the course of
the pandemic, the government has put $10 billion into pandemic response
measures, including $1.6 billion into direct support for Western Australian
small and medium–sized businesses.
Today, we announced a further $67 million COVID-19 business
assistance package, on top of everything else we have done so far. The package
will help those businesses that are most impacted by the spread of the Omicron
variant. It involves eight programs targeting small businesses. Despite our
request that people continue to go out and access businesses, some people have
decided to not do that, which has resulted in a drop in trade for some
businesses around Western Australia. This new package includes $42 million in tenant
rental relief, providing grants of up to $3 000 for eligible small business
tenants; $10.7 million in landlord rental relief, to provide support to landlords who match what the government is
doing—in effect, some businesses will be able to get up to $6 000 in rental relief if the landlord matches it;
the waiving of rent for government tenants, up to $6 000; a $5 million alfresco support program for businesses to put in place alfresco initiatives,
particularly cafes and the like; the waiving of a range of licensing fees, including liquor licensing fees, across the
state; a $1.8 million nightclub assistance program ; and a $1.3 million
performing arts, theatres and cinemas assistance program, providing grants of
up to $50 000. I was at a Luna cinema this morning. Those sorts of venues will
obviously suffer at these times, so we want to provide support to them,
particularly the cinemas out there that might suffer a loss of trade. This is a
direct set of grants to businesses and forms
part of the $355 million in support that we have provided to business since
December last year so that they can cope with what has gone on. As I said,
it is because of our good financial management that we have been able to do
that.
I encourage Western Australians
to continue to access our businesses across the state—retail,
hospitality and the like. Just because we have COVID does not mean that people
should stop going out and stop supporting local businesses.
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