[Queensland] $47.75m support package for tourism and hospitality sectors

On August 11 Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the Tourism and Hospitality Sector COVID-19 Lockdown Support Package. The Premier said the Queensland Government will provide $47.75m to the struggling sectors to address the twin burden posed by international and domestic border closures and sudden lockdowns, Travel Weekly reports.

Introducing the support package Ms Palaszczuk said, “My government is responding to the impact [lockdown] is having on businesses across the state, particularly those in the tourism and hospitality sectors.”

Treasurer and Minister for Investment Cameron Dick said the package was the result of close consultation with businesses in the tourism and hospitality sectors. “We’ve listened to what business has to say and we know the measures deliver immediate cash flow assistance,” he said.

Mr Dick said the package would provide eligible businesses in the sector with the waiving, refunding or deferring of a range of fees and charges, including a six-month deferral of payroll tax payments and liquor licensing fee waivers.

“Given the impact of lockdowns on licensed venues, we will ease the burden by waiving or refunding liquor licensing fees for the 2021-22 financial for existing businesses, at a cost of up to $22 million,” Mr Dick said.

“In response to the lockdown in Cairns and Yarrabah in the far north, we are also extending eligibility for the $5,000 COVID-19 Business Support Grants to include large tourism and hospitality businesses outside south-east Queensland.”

The three-day snap lockdown for Cairns and Yarrabah was lifted on August 11, after the state recorded only four new cases of COVID-19 linked to a known cluster in Indooroopilly.

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.

“Businesses and community organisations throughout the state have helped keep Queenslanders safe by acting swiftly and responsibly to undertake deep cleaning when a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 has been on their premise,” Mr Dick said.

“The COVID-19 Cleaning Rebate will help cover these expenses by providing up to 80 per cent of cleaning costs, capped at $10,000 per incident, where a business is a confirmed COVID-19 exposure site.”

On August 11 Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the Tourism and Hospitality Sector COVID-19 Lockdown Support Package. The Premier said the Queensland Government will provide $47.75m to the struggling sectors to address the twin burden posed by international and domestic border closures and sudden lockdowns, Travel Weekly reports.

Introducing the support package Ms Palaszczuk said, “My government is responding to the impact [lockdown] is having on businesses across the state, particularly those in the tourism and hospitality sectors.”

Treasurer and Minister for Investment Cameron Dick said the package was the result of close consultation with businesses in the tourism and hospitality sectors. “We’ve listened to what business has to say and we know the measures deliver immediate cash flow assistance,” he said.

Mr Dick said the package would provide eligible businesses in the sector with the waiving, refunding or deferring of a range of fees and charges, including a six-month deferral of payroll tax payments and liquor licensing fee waivers.

“Given the impact of lockdowns on licensed venues, we will ease the burden by waiving or refunding liquor licensing fees for the 2021-22 financial for existing businesses, at a cost of up to $22 million,” Mr Dick said.

“In response to the lockdown in Cairns and Yarrabah in the far north, we are also extending eligibility for the $5,000 COVID-19 Business Support Grants to include large tourism and hospitality businesses outside south-east Queensland.”

The three-day snap lockdown for Cairns and Yarrabah was lifted on August 11, after the state recorded only four new cases of COVID-19 linked to a known cluster in Indooroopilly.

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.

“Businesses and community organisations throughout the state have helped keep Queenslanders safe by acting swiftly and responsibly to undertake deep cleaning when a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 has been on their premise,” Mr Dick said.

“The COVID-19 Cleaning Rebate will help cover these expenses by providing up to 80 per cent of cleaning costs, capped at $10,000 per incident, where a business is a confirmed COVID-19 exposure site.”